Wednesday 21st July 2010

Tory MP Calls For Motorways To Be Privatised

Tolled, privately owned motorways could mean reduced fuel duty, says Tim Yeo

---

A senior Tory MP has called for the privatisation of motorways and trunk roads.

Tim Yeo, chairman of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee, has warned the Prime Minister in a new book that, in order to meet his environmental promises, David Cameron must privatise the UK’s motorways, and introduce wholesale road charging.

Privatising more than 2000 miles of motorway could, argues Yeo, help fund better road and rail services and could even mean a reduction in fuel duty (we’ll believe that when we see it). It would also raise billions of pounds for a deficit-laden treasury.

“So far most politicians have been reluctant to embrace the huge potential which a truly radical road pricing system offers,” says Yeo. “Allied to the overdue privatisation of Britain’s motorways this could fund both more investment in better roads and the immediate development of high speed rail.

“Since it could also pay for a cut in fuel duty the upshot would be a cut in the cost of driving for drivers who make little use of motorways, a group which includes many rural residents for whom car ownership is a necessity, regardless of wealth.”

Yeo also reckons that the London congestion charge scheme is clunky and unimaginative, but that the M6 Toll is a far more effective way of charging for road use.

Business secretary, Vince Cable, has in the past come out in favour of the privatisation of major roads, while Philip Hammond, the minister responsible for transport, is also said to be receptive to the idea.

^{Pic - John Barrett}

[Jack_and_MLE]

I live in the country side and I need to take the motorway to get to work.
Will they reduce my tax burden accordingly or should I stay at home and claime benefit....

Jack

[leon9191]

Well wouldnt that be a kick in the nuts.

Never in one million years will the Tories lower fuel tax.

[IPAddis]

Pistonheads said:

A senior Tory MP has called for the privatisation of motorways and trunk roads.

Tim Yeo, chairman of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee...

Hmm, what? Sorry, stopped listening there.

Ian A.

[Peeved]

Are there speed limits on privately owned roads?

[Paul 8v]

I've just been listening to this guy on the radio, what he fails to understand with his "better quality roads" argument is that all A roads and B roads are the ones that are falling apart!
I personally would be better off if they really did reduce the road/fuel tax but I would imagine they would creep it back up to where it was before so you would end up paying high fuel and road tax and for using motorways.
A nice idea in principle but it will be used to rip off the motorist even more, oh and crush the transport industry.

[infradig]

We're all grown-ups here so we know that;

1. Fuel duty will NOT be lowered.
2. Road Tax will NOT be reduced.
3. Motorway tolls will take 20 years to break even on just setting up.
4. The only people to benefit will be the company given the contract.
5. Congestion near motorways will be horrendous.
6. All governments see roadusers as an easy target to squeeze money out of.

[HeavyOiler]

Great idea Yeo, you idiot. Force traffic off the motorways and onto A and B roads. The inevitable increase in accidents, congestion and pollution should really help the environment and save public money.

[cpl_payne]

Look, it's really simple old chap - we'll privatise the motorways and reduce your fuel tax, see?

Oh to have the glorious benefits of privatisation applied to motorways as well! As far as the eye can see we can behold the consequences of privatising British Rail. Now it's cheap as chips, reliable and never interrupted for (planned or otherwise) engineering works.

Bring it on!

Oh, wait...

[Paul 8v]

One of his best comments was that poor people don't really use motorways...

[greystones]

Well, they have sold off most of the family silver so far, and what have we got? foreign owned power suppliers and other utilities, a rail network that doesn't work, overpriced travel, and a load of idiots in charge. I despair.

[Hoppelemine]

infradig said:

We're all grown-ups here so we know that;

1. Fuel duty will NOT be lowered.
2. Road Tax will NOT be reduced.
3. Motorway tolls will take 20 years to break even on just setting up.
4. The only people to benefit will be the company given the contract.
5. Congestion near motorways will be horrendous.
6. All governments see roadusers as an easy target to squeeze money out of.

Very well said.

However I feel this is a non-story because it will never happen.

The only exceptions may be new build roads or alternative motorways built to relieve congestion on existing motorways, like the M6 Toll has done.

Edited by Hoppelemine on Wednesday 21st July 13:43

[Leroybrown1984]

First of all they need to remember why there is this huge debt looming over us, and more importantly who's fault that is! Secondly the road tax was invented purely to fund and maintain the roads, so why does hardly any money from the road tax go into the roads and if not we should all, each and every one of us who pay our road tax get a huge check in the post for the money that has never been used on the roads which we have payed!
I wish people who come together and stand up against these madmen because they will not stop squeezing us until we pop!

[Emubiker]

At least he's trying to find ways to reduce our debt unlike the red guys...too bad he isn't finding the "right" ways to do it yet. As long as they keep trying (and not implimenting poor ideas) we may end up in a reasonable position in the end...just in time for the red guys to come back and spend it again.

[leon9191]

Emubiker said:

At least he's trying to find ways to reduce our debt unlike the red guys...too bad he isn't finding the "right" ways to do it yet. As long as they keep trying (and not implimenting poor ideas) we may end up in a reasonable position in the end...just in time for the red guys to come back and spend it again.

So cut spending on every thing like they did last time and let the counrty fall apart, like they did last time. Your an idiot if you think they will do the right thing by this country.

[Hoppelemine]

Leroybrown1984 said:

First of all they need to remember why there is this huge debt looming over us, and more importantly who's fault that is! Secondly the road tax was invented purely to fund and maintain the roads, so why does hardly any money from the road tax go into the roads and if not we should all, each and every one of us who pay our road tax get a huge check in the post for the money that has never been used on the roads which we have payed!
I wish people who come together and stand up against these madmen because they will not stop squeezing us until we pop!

I agree with you, but get real.I suppose you also want a cheque in the post for your share of VAT you paid that you haven't received back in services? What if you have an accident and need lots of expensive NHS treatment but that cost exceeds the tax you've paid for the year (which isn't much as you can't work when your in hospital) is it ok for the NHS to send you the bill?

It angers me that most of the 80% tax on fuel and road tax doesn't get spent on the transport network, but in reality if you weren't paying it there you'd be paying for it somewhere else.

Only 2 things are guaranteed in life....

[heebeegeetee]

Jack_and_MLE said:

I live in the country side and I need to take the motorway to get to work.
Will they reduce my tax burden accordingly or should I stay at home and claime benefit....

Jack

Need? You choose the distance to live away from work, surely?

infradig said:

We're all grown-ups here so we know that;

1. Fuel duty will NOT be lowered.
2. Road Tax will NOT be reduced.
3. Motorway tolls will take 20 years to break even on just setting up.
4. The only people to benefit will be the company given the contract.
5. Congestion near motorways will be horrendous.
6. All governments see roadusers as an easy target to squeeze money out of.

Agreed. I'm not against the idea per se, but we don't have a taxation system or road system that was created with road charging in mind. In France there are good alternatives to the m'ways, in the UK there aren't.

[TobesH]

The highest emitting cars new cost £ 950 for year one RFL. That's rape!
They should simply scrap all other taxes and levy it on fuel only. Then all those using the most fuel pay the most tax. Then set up fair tax releif for freight and business drivers.

Oh if only it as that simple...

The fact is the government say the want people to drive less and use less fuel with greener cars, but they still need the huge revenue generated by the poor motorist.

[soxboy]

It's not 'road tax' it's Vehicle Excise Duty, i.e. the tax you pay to run a car on the roads. This money does not go directly to pay for the roads, it goes into the government coffers to pay for the interest payments we've been lumbered with.

I actually thought he sounded quite reasonable (for an MP) on the Jeremy Vine daily whinge. He conceded it wouldn't be popular and that there would be a number of problems with it, but fair play to him for at least coming up with some ideas.

If it means foreign lorries paying more to use these roads, great. Likewise if it cuts congestion.

[Hoppelemine]

heebeegeetee said:

Jack_and_MLE said:

I live in the country side and I need to take the motorway to get to work.
Will they reduce my tax burden accordingly or should I stay at home and claime benefit....

Jack

Need? You choose the distance to live away from work, surely?

You clearly are a townie. Many people don't choose to live in rural areas, they are born there! or they are priced out of the housing market in some cities and can only afford to rent or buy in a cheaper rural area. (not always the case I know, in can be the other way around).

The problem is then that jobs in rural areas can be very limited in terms of the amount available and the skills that are required. Got a degree or skills in a business, marketing or finance related subject? Great, well done, now find some jobs available in rural areas that use those skills, there may be some, but not very many.

Edited by Hoppelemine on Wednesday 21st July 14:16

[Paul 8v]

I just think the main problem is that even if this government did lower fuel and tax, what's to say the next government won't raise it?

The argument will be to use public transport and unless you live in London or a few of the larger cities it's pretty much useless and costs a fortune.