50p/mile - is there 'owt in it?
Discussion
Having neither the energy or inclination to check this out, rather relying on the wondrous font of all wisdom that is PH, I reckoned I'd better check this out.
One of the early birds this a.m. caused me no small consternation by suggesting that he'd heard a report on the radio, from yet another infernal think tank, suggesting the above charge/levy/tax.
A wholly unqualified titbit, I realise but it would basically close us down and of course, the entire UK economy.
Please, someone tell me he was talking bollocks.
Barely 24 hours goes by currently, so it seems, where I do not come across some new fangled threat to my exploitative capitalist feifdom. And it is beginning to feel more than a little tedious.
Reassurance would be most welcome!
One of the early birds this a.m. caused me no small consternation by suggesting that he'd heard a report on the radio, from yet another infernal think tank, suggesting the above charge/levy/tax.
A wholly unqualified titbit, I realise but it would basically close us down and of course, the entire UK economy.
Please, someone tell me he was talking bollocks.
Barely 24 hours goes by currently, so it seems, where I do not come across some new fangled threat to my exploitative capitalist feifdom. And it is beginning to feel more than a little tedious.
Reassurance would be most welcome!
You know this area of discussion came back to the forefront of my mind only this last weekend.
Progress is a funny old thing. When the medical profession found out how to use leechs properly we all started living longer and now we die of cancer and heart disease, or accidents, or cigarettes - shock horror how can this be allowed? So ban everything that can do this.
In the stakes associated with global warming and air polution, we've done away with the killer smogs and stopped buring coal in factories. So now the biggest polutant is the internal combustion engine - and we've cleaned up lead and sulphur et cetera as far as this is concerned. It is no great surprise that Big Brother believes he can do something for the good of us all on the way to his sainthood. Logic suggests that this can most easily be achieved by either:
1 Kill us all humanely - perhaps with Bovine spongey stuff or SARS
2 Legislate us off the roads and hang the economy
3 Do something sensible - but that takes effort.
I guess I have, for a decade now, been of the opinion that life's too short to worry about the day when we can't do the things we want. So I am off to top up with Optimax shortly........
......to do otherwise is to endure obscene stress levels for no personal gain.
I.e. go and kick something NOW!
Progress is a funny old thing. When the medical profession found out how to use leechs properly we all started living longer and now we die of cancer and heart disease, or accidents, or cigarettes - shock horror how can this be allowed? So ban everything that can do this.
In the stakes associated with global warming and air polution, we've done away with the killer smogs and stopped buring coal in factories. So now the biggest polutant is the internal combustion engine - and we've cleaned up lead and sulphur et cetera as far as this is concerned. It is no great surprise that Big Brother believes he can do something for the good of us all on the way to his sainthood. Logic suggests that this can most easily be achieved by either:
1 Kill us all humanely - perhaps with Bovine spongey stuff or SARS
2 Legislate us off the roads and hang the economy
3 Do something sensible - but that takes effort.
I guess I have, for a decade now, been of the opinion that life's too short to worry about the day when we can't do the things we want. So I am off to top up with Optimax shortly........
......to do otherwise is to endure obscene stress levels for no personal gain.
I.e. go and kick something NOW!
50p/mile is blollocks in my opinion because a basic 20000 mile a year, which most business users will acheieve and pass will amount to £10k.
One of the insurance companies (Direct Line i think)is trialling an insurance as you drive scheme, based on paying insurance per mile driven which could be a good idea. But only if the cost of low-risk areas and rural travelling is lowered, as opposed to just upping the cost of urban and higher-risk areas.
Paying an additional road-tax per mile, whether it replaces or is in addition to the existing road licence is nonsense though.
An individual that only makes a single journey every year from one end of the country to the other will require the same amount of road as that of a driver that makes the journey every day.
Maintenance will be greater, but surely the more usage made of the road the better value for money. ie xxxmillion journeys per £xxxmillion spent is better value than xmillion journeys per £xxxmillion spent
One of the insurance companies (Direct Line i think)is trialling an insurance as you drive scheme, based on paying insurance per mile driven which could be a good idea. But only if the cost of low-risk areas and rural travelling is lowered, as opposed to just upping the cost of urban and higher-risk areas.
Paying an additional road-tax per mile, whether it replaces or is in addition to the existing road licence is nonsense though.
An individual that only makes a single journey every year from one end of the country to the other will require the same amount of road as that of a driver that makes the journey every day.
Maintenance will be greater, but surely the more usage made of the road the better value for money. ie xxxmillion journeys per £xxxmillion spent is better value than xmillion journeys per £xxxmillion spent
Don't forget it will not affect most business users either as their allowance from the IR will increase as well.
I currently get 40p per mile for my M5 (as it's my own car) and if toll roads come in they can either pay me more to get in on time, or pay for the extra time. Either way I'm alright Jack!
I currently get 40p per mile for my M5 (as it's my own car) and if toll roads come in they can either pay me more to get in on time, or pay for the extra time. Either way I'm alright Jack!
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