Road tolls suggestion from the ICE?

[snooky]

http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/road-tolls-may-be-needed-in-scotland-say-engineers-1-3937186#axzz3qWjzTnib

I see the Institution of Civil Engineers are suggesting we pay tolls to cover the cost of road maintenance.
Ahem, we already pay a road tax of which a fraction is used on the roads.
Who will benefits from all the taxes collected?
Let me see now ...
a) The government because they'll be able to skim even more money from the road tax pot.
b) The (surely not?) Civil Engineering firms who will design & carry out the work.
c) The public who will take comfort in knowing they are paying for the same thing twice.

Is it a wonder we're all getting cynical. :rolleyes:

[Hibbyradge]

No one pays road tax anymore :wink: and all monies raised through VED are treated as general taxation so there is no road tax pot.

However the UK government intends to ring fence it for road development from 2020.

[speedy_gonzales]

Personally, I think we should have a pay as you go system.
We already have it with fuel but it could be applied to insurance & miles covered as well.
If the authorities could be trusted with the figures, the average road user would see no difference as high milers and low milers would cancel each other out.

I selfishly say this as someone who stupidly has a high VED car that does next to no mileage (2000ish per year),,,,

[RyeSloan]

http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/road-tolls-may-be-needed-in-scotland-say-engineers-1-3937186#axzz3qWjzTnib I see the Institution of Civil Engineers are suggesting we pay tolls to cover the cost of road maintenance. Ahem, we already pay a road tax of which a fraction is used on the roads. Who will benefits from all the taxes collected? Let me see now ... a) The government because they'll be able to skim even more money from the road tax pot. b) The (surely not?) Civil Engineering firms who will design & carry out the work. c) The public who will take comfort in knowing they are paying for the same thing twice. Is it a wonder we're all getting cynical. :rolleyes:

What? Maintenance of roads paid for by the people that use them? Who'd have thunk it!

[Moulin Yarns]

What Maintenance of roads?!

That reads a bit more like it :wink:

The mile of road between my house and the pub outskirts of town has 55 patches marked to be replaced for the past 9 months and we are still waiting.

[snooky]

Personally, I think we should have a pay as you go system.
We already have it with fuel but it could be applied to insurance & miles covered as well.
If the authorities could be trusted with the figures, the average road user would see no difference as high milers and low milers would cancel each other out.

I selfishly say this as someone who stupidly has a high VED car that does next to no mileage (2000ish per year),,,,

= ICE :wink:

[snooky]

No one pays road tax anymore :wink: and all monies raised through VED are treated as general taxation so there is no road tax pot.

However the UK government intends to ring fence it for road development from 2020.

Aye, to cover the pretence of calling it Road Tax & thereby shafting the motorist. Sneaky. :cb

[Hibbyradge]

Aye, to cover the pretence of calling it Road Tax & thereby shafting the motorist. Sneaky. :cb

It's been that way for a long, long time. "Road tax" is almost a myth.

In 1926, by which time the direct use of taxes collected from motorists to fund the road network was already opposed by many in government, the Chancellor Winston Churchill is reported to have said in a memo: "Entertainments may be taxed; public houses may be taxed...and the yield devoted to the general revenue. But motorists are to be privileged for all time to have the tax on motors devoted to roads? This is an outrage upon...common sense."

Hypothecation came to an end in 1937 under the 1936 Finance Act, and the proceeds of the vehicle road taxes were paid directly into the Exchequer. The Road Fund itself, then funded by government grants, was not abolished until 1955.

In order to highlight this myth, a cyclist once started a campaign called "I pay road tax" to answer the criticisms of car users. This was supported by the AA.

[RyeSloan]

That reads a bit more like it :wink: The mile of road between my house and the pub outskirts of town has 55 patches marked to be replaced for the past 9 months and we are still waiting.

Ha ha too true. Some of the roads are in a brutal state, quite where the money comes from to maintain them is another question but in principle I have no problem with users of a service or utility paying for that use.

I was against the scrapping of the tolls on the forth bridge (old and new) for that very reason...to me it made a lot of sense (and money!) to charge users £1 for each time they crossed. It wasn't a punitive charge (esp. compared to council levied parking charges) and the removal of those tolls simply puts more pressure on budgets and spending elsewhere.

[snooky]

Ha ha too true. Some of the roads are in a brutal state, quite where the money comes from to maintain them is another question but in principle I have no problem with users of a service or utility paying for that use.

I was against the scrapping of the tolls on the forth bridge (old and new) for that very reason...to me it made a lot of sense (and money!) to charge users £1 for each time they crossed. It wasn't a punitive charge (esp. compared to council levied parking charges) and the removal of those tolls simply puts more pressure on budgets and spending elsewhere.

If I didn't use the Forth Road Bridge I might agree with you :wink:

[Future17]

What? Maintenance of roads paid for by the people that use them? Who'd have thunk it!

Surely roads are vital infrastructure and are used, in one way or another, by everybody?

[RyeSloan]

Surely roads are vital infrastructure and are used, in one way or another, by everybody?

Indeed although there can be no denying that the vehicles that use them are the first point of benefit. Any tolls would ultimately be an additional tax that would be paid for either by the direct user or passed onto the end customers to some degree.

I have no problem with the costs of tolls and therefore road maintenance being included in the cost of end services and products that their existence helps to provide, especially if those tolls are used to upgrade or expand the infrastructure. Has to be better than the make do and don't mend system we seem to have just now.

[snooky]

Indeed although there can be no denying that the vehicles that use them are the first point of benefit. Any tolls would ultimately be an additional tax that would be paid for either by the direct user or passed onto the end customers to some degree.

I have no problem with the costs of tolls and therefore road maintenance being included in the cost of end services and products that their existence helps to provide, especially if those tolls are used to upgrade or expand the infrastructure. Has to be better than the make do and don't mend system we seem to have just now.

What little faith have I.

'Twill be just another money grab - eventually.

[RyeSloan]

What little faith have I. 'Twill be just another money grab - eventually.

True...tis always the way!