David Cameron favours Road Charging and Toll Roads....
Discussion
The Conservative leader told the BBC Today programme that the party was ready to look at charging to fund additional capacity and refused to rule out making drivers pay to use roads that are currently free.
" I think we should be looking when we build new roads at occasionally looking at road charges and tolls. Not an eye in the sky scheme but actually looking at tolls because again we need to find ways of building essential infrastructure in a country where because we've had such a bad Labour government we've run out of money," he said.
When pressed on whether the charges could cover existing parts of the network, Mr Cameron would only say: "I think we should start with new roads."
.....
The Tory assertion that the party had "no plans" for charging to use the existing network failed to satisfy John McGoldrick, coordinator of the National Alliance Against Tolls.
"There is this huge hole in the national finances. The Tories have said they will not increase taxes. There have been hints in the past that they have been ready to sell off motorways to private operators.
"I believe if elected they will do just that and it will be fairly rapid.
"If they produce a manifesto which states clearly they will introduce new tolls, we will have to accept that. The fact that the party says it has "no plans" means almost nothing."
Last year a radical plan to privatise the motorway network was presented to all three political parties by NM Rothschild, the investment bank, which was behind a number of previous privatisations.
Some senior Conservatives have made little secret of their support for tolling the motorway network, including John Redwood, a former Cabinet minister who also chaired the party's economic competitiveness policy review group.
As recently as August Mr Redwood outlined his blueprint on his own Facebook page, arguing that selling off trunk roads could help public finances with companies paying the Treasury a premium in return for the right to levy tolls.
Another idea floated within the party was to introduce tolling for both new roads and on stretches of motorway which have been widened.
Stephen Joseph, executive director of the Campaign for Better Transport, said he believed the Conservative hierarchy had been considering going beyond tolling new roads.
"Transport is one of the ways in which you can raise serious money and David Cameron has acknowledged that, but it is going to be politically very difficult.
"People will need to see real payback before we start building new roads across the countryside,"
The prospect of tolling existing roads infuriated Peter Roberts, founder of the Drivers' Alliance, and author of the Downing Street petition against national road pricing, which attracted 1.8 million signatures.
"Motorists already pay many times more in taxation than they get back. It is unacceptable to continually increase the cost for people to get from A to B," he said.
Edmund King, the AA's President, said voters would reject new tolls.
"Piling more road charges on top will hit drivers and the economy. The risk with directly charging use of any of the UK’s strategic routes, as identified by many studies, is that drivers will divert off to other routes to avoid paying, which will bring with it additional accident risk, congestion and also environmental blight to communities along the way”.
Lord Adonis, the Transport Secretary, seized on the Tory leader's remarks. "Motorists across the country will be concerned that Cameron is proposing to fill his black hole with road tolls. And even more alarmed by his suggestion that tolls for all new roads could be just the start of a Tory national road pricing plan," he said.
But Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, supported the proposals. "I think it is very interesting, we have been advocating something of this kind for some time. The money from the tolls whether from new roads or existing roads has to be ring fenced for improvements in the network in a credible way.
"It will only work as part of a package which reviews road taxes, investment in the network and how we are charged to use it."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/election-2010/7571...
" I think we should be looking when we build new roads at occasionally looking at road charges and tolls. Not an eye in the sky scheme but actually looking at tolls because again we need to find ways of building essential infrastructure in a country where because we've had such a bad Labour government we've run out of money," he said.
When pressed on whether the charges could cover existing parts of the network, Mr Cameron would only say: "I think we should start with new roads."
.....
The Tory assertion that the party had "no plans" for charging to use the existing network failed to satisfy John McGoldrick, coordinator of the National Alliance Against Tolls.
"There is this huge hole in the national finances. The Tories have said they will not increase taxes. There have been hints in the past that they have been ready to sell off motorways to private operators.
"I believe if elected they will do just that and it will be fairly rapid.
"If they produce a manifesto which states clearly they will introduce new tolls, we will have to accept that. The fact that the party says it has "no plans" means almost nothing."
Last year a radical plan to privatise the motorway network was presented to all three political parties by NM Rothschild, the investment bank, which was behind a number of previous privatisations.
Some senior Conservatives have made little secret of their support for tolling the motorway network, including John Redwood, a former Cabinet minister who also chaired the party's economic competitiveness policy review group.
As recently as August Mr Redwood outlined his blueprint on his own Facebook page, arguing that selling off trunk roads could help public finances with companies paying the Treasury a premium in return for the right to levy tolls.
Another idea floated within the party was to introduce tolling for both new roads and on stretches of motorway which have been widened.
Stephen Joseph, executive director of the Campaign for Better Transport, said he believed the Conservative hierarchy had been considering going beyond tolling new roads.
"Transport is one of the ways in which you can raise serious money and David Cameron has acknowledged that, but it is going to be politically very difficult.
"People will need to see real payback before we start building new roads across the countryside,"
The prospect of tolling existing roads infuriated Peter Roberts, founder of the Drivers' Alliance, and author of the Downing Street petition against national road pricing, which attracted 1.8 million signatures.
"Motorists already pay many times more in taxation than they get back. It is unacceptable to continually increase the cost for people to get from A to B," he said.
Edmund King, the AA's President, said voters would reject new tolls.
"Piling more road charges on top will hit drivers and the economy. The risk with directly charging use of any of the UK’s strategic routes, as identified by many studies, is that drivers will divert off to other routes to avoid paying, which will bring with it additional accident risk, congestion and also environmental blight to communities along the way”.
Lord Adonis, the Transport Secretary, seized on the Tory leader's remarks. "Motorists across the country will be concerned that Cameron is proposing to fill his black hole with road tolls. And even more alarmed by his suggestion that tolls for all new roads could be just the start of a Tory national road pricing plan," he said.
But Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, supported the proposals. "I think it is very interesting, we have been advocating something of this kind for some time. The money from the tolls whether from new roads or existing roads has to be ring fenced for improvements in the network in a credible way.
"It will only work as part of a package which reviews road taxes, investment in the network and how we are charged to use it."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/election-2010/7571...
Mermaid said:
I am sure he is good guy and well intentioned, but so far all he has dealt with is fodder.
Do I trust this guy to take the 3am call? I'd prefer it got re-directed to Ken Clark.
Lets not forget Ken Clark created the fuel tax escalator.Do I trust this guy to take the 3am call? I'd prefer it got re-directed to Ken Clark.
We are paying £1.20 per litre of petrol, mostly tax - we don't need road pricingI wouldn't mind Tolls for new roads if they are built like the continental Autoroutes etc. But, there is precious little space for us to do that, and much of our existing network isn't suitable.
But Cameron will have to cope with spy-in-the-sky road charging anyway - The EU's Galileo white elephant isn't going to go away any time soon, and continual surveillance at our expense is part of the funding proposal. So this is either a stop-gap measure or just plain hot air.
Twit.
But Cameron will have to cope with spy-in-the-sky road charging anyway - The EU's Galileo white elephant isn't going to go away any time soon, and continual surveillance at our expense is part of the funding proposal. So this is either a stop-gap measure or just plain hot air.
Twit.
Spiritual_Beggar said:
odyssey2200 said:
I seriously doubt that CMD will prove to be any better than Winky.
It certainly looks that way.My outlook is with CMD what you see is wehat you get.
Labour will probably bring it in anyway but without telling us pre election
.David Cameron said:
because again we need to find ways of building essential infrastructure in a country where because we've had such a bad Labour government we've run out of money,"
Yes, yes, good idea... where could this money come from??If only, somehow, we could raise money from drivers - people that use the roads...
Jesus f
king Christ.Sarcasm not included
Yeast Lord said:
I don't mind tolls if it means better roads. Face it, we have a corrupt public sector that needs all our cash, we've got no money for roads.
What I don't want is the state watching my every move using a black box in the car.
You are missing the point - We pay enough as motorists. All that money disappears into all the other crap inc MP's mortgage payments rather than re-investing and building new roads or even brand new train links!What I don't want is the state watching my every move using a black box in the car.
amir_j said:
Yeast Lord said:
I don't mind tolls if it means better roads. Face it, we have a corrupt public sector that needs all our cash, we've got no money for roads.
What I don't want is the state watching my every move using a black box in the car.
You are missing the point - We pay enough as motorists. All that money disappears into all the other crap inc MP's mortgage payments rather than re-investing and building new roads or even brand new train links!What I don't want is the state watching my every move using a black box in the car.
Head
odyssey2200 said:
amir_j said:
Yeast Lord said:
I don't mind tolls if it means better roads. Face it, we have a corrupt public sector that needs all our cash, we've got no money for roads.
What I don't want is the state watching my every move using a black box in the car.
You are missing the point - We pay enough as motorists. All that money disappears into all the other crap inc MP's mortgage payments rather than re-investing and building new roads or even brand new train links!What I don't want is the state watching my every move using a black box in the car.
Head
Despite the Conservatives not ruling out road charging, I suspect they'd be the party least likely to bring it in. Unless the policy summaries on the BBC website are wrong (and presumably they've originated from the press offices of the parties themselves) then the conservatives are generally opposed to road pricing:
Conservative Transport Policy Summary said:
Support London Crossrail project but do not guarantee to match Labour’s funding plan; develop a North-South high speed rail line; block the third runway at Heathrow; break up BAA monopoly over airports in the South-East; expand the remit of the Office of Rail Regulation to focus on consumers; give passengers and train operators a stronger voice on Network Rail’s board; oppose road-pricing; introduce "Fair Fuel Stabiliser" to reduce fuel duty as oil prices rise and increase it as oil prices fall; require local authorities to show new speed cameras are justified for safety reasons.
Their policy on speed cameras may not be a bad thing either.Yeast Lord said:
odyssey2200 said:
amir_j said:
Yeast Lord said:
I don't mind tolls if it means better roads. Face it, we have a corrupt public sector that needs all our cash, we've got no money for roads.
What I don't want is the state watching my every move using a black box in the car.
You are missing the point - We pay enough as motorists. All that money disappears into all the other crap inc MP's mortgage payments rather than re-investing and building new roads or even brand new train links!What I don't want is the state watching my every move using a black box in the car.
Head
Yeast Lord said:
odyssey2200 said:
amir_j said:
Yeast Lord said:
I don't mind tolls if it means better roads. Face it, we have a corrupt public sector that needs all our cash, we've got no money for roads.
What I don't want is the state watching my every move using a black box in the car.
You are missing the point - We pay enough as motorists. All that money disappears into all the other crap inc MP's mortgage payments rather than re-investing and building new roads or even brand new train links!What I don't want is the state watching my every move using a black box in the car.
Head
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