Forester Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 What good is it going to do to trade in Manchester when they start road charging? I for one will not go again and a lot of my friends have said the same. Why is this govement hell bent in taking our hard eared money! It costs about £4 + per hour to park in the centre £6 per day to get in, even Dick Turpin wore a mask!!!. IMHO if you want to cut traffic stop buying imported cars then there's work for people over here ect why is there cars that do 150mph?. In Swinton near me the council put double yellows and charged for parking on car parks, it was a good shopping area. It is now dead and most of the market stall owners have gone, shops are closing left/right & centre why do people vote for d***heads like them to run the council The worring thing about all this is IT'S HAPPENING ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. Opinions welcomed incl off topic he he. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chas Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 Fully agree with you, but saying that no dought we will hear from some greeny tree hugger who thinks it a great idea to "save the planet" and rob the motorist. chas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forester Posted January 24, 2007 Author Share Posted January 24, 2007 We have a good friend that actualy hugs trees how real is that any more on here?BTW the local radio is reporting that they have received loads of e-mails/calls saying they will stay away, so shopping is already being hit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 chas - 2007-01-24 12:02 PM Fully agree with you, but saying that no dought we will hear from some greeny tree hugger who thinks it a great idea to "save the planet" and rob the motorist. chas So, what's your point, Chas? Indulge the motorist and wreck the planet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chas Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 Hi Brian- Do you really think these congestion charges go to saving the planet ???? I really feel sorry for the poor shopkeepers trying to earn a living who have shops in these no go towns . United Kingdom is really tiny on the planet, and countrys like China our churning out pollution at a terrifiying rate, thats where the problems are, not some poor motorist trying to earn a living in the centre of a large city. Do you think these councils hand over this money they collect to Goverment, and do you think Goverment would use this money on research ? If you do , then I would say we are both living on different planets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forester Posted January 25, 2007 Author Share Posted January 25, 2007 chas - 2007-01-24 9:33 PM Hi Brian- Do you really think these congestion charges go to saving the planet ???? I really feel sorry for the poor shopkeepers trying to earn a living who have shops in these no go towns . United Kingdom is really tiny on the planet, and countrys like China our churning out pollution at a terrifiying rate, thats where the problems are, not some poor motorist trying to earn a living in the centre of a large city. Do you think these councils hand over this money they collect to Goverment, and do you think Goverment would use this money on research ? If you do , then I would say we are both living on different planets. Well said chas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest starspirit Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 It's just another of Grasping Gordon and Red Ken's stealth taxes designed to hit the most law abiding and honest sector of the Great British public. Yeah - you got it - us - the motorist. How else can they pay for such worthwhile green projects as the Iraq war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith T Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 Road Charging - a 'green' tax - whatever makes anybody think that. Just like Airport Departure Taxes, the money simply goes into the Governments coffers, never to be seen again - at least not in anything to do with teh environment! Trouble is any 'alternative' party seems to have jumped on the same bandwagon. If they actual suggested something revolutionary in facvour of the general public, they'd probably get themselves elected again...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 chas - 2007-01-24 9:33 PM Hi Brian- Do you really think these congestion charges go to saving the planet ???? I really feel sorry for the poor shopkeepers trying to earn a living who have shops in these no go towns . United Kingdom is really tiny on the planet, and countrys like China our churning out pollution at a terrifiying rate, thats where the problems are, not some poor motorist trying to earn a living in the centre of a large city. Do you think these councils hand over this money they collect to Goverment, and do you think Goverment would use this money on research ? If you do , then I would say we are both living on different planets. Hello ChasToo many questions there for one reply, but, one at a time.Do the charges contribute to saving the planet? Only if they succeed in reducing our vehicle use but, if they do that, then yes.Is China a bigger problem that UK? Yes - because it is a bigger country, with a bigger population. However, does each Chinese generate more carbon then each Brit? No - each individual Brit generates more carbon than each Chinese, so we have to make our contribution as well. In any case, the USA is a far bigger problem than either UK or China. However, the Americans and the Chinese are all, in the final analysis, "some poor motorist trying to earn a living in the centre of a large city". One law for them, another for us?Do the councils hand over the money to government? No, why should they?Do I think the government would use this non-existent windfall to finance research (if they had it)? Probably not, but what research did you have in mind?Do we inhabit different planets? Metaphorically, maybe. In reality we all inhabit the same planet, and all have to take responsibility for what we do to it because what I do to it eventually affects you, and vice versa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest starspirit Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 Nice thoughts Brian - if only the playing field were that level. What about aircraft pollution? Why should motorists subsidise that as we currently appear to? Why do we (the rest of the world) let the Yanks have the economic advantage of being the world's most wasteful nation without more than token protests from Grasping Gordon and Tag along Tony? Much of global warming seems to be a natural progression of the planet's normal cycle so why should we meekly agree to be penalised and blamed for something which, to a very large degree, we neither caused nor can stop? We are indeed on different planets to both the Yanks and our own Government who are so hell bent on being politically correct they will tax everything that moves if they can get away with it. I'm surprised that the greenhouse gaseous planet warming energy discharged by an uphill cyclist isn't taxed at the top of each hill? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 starspirit - 2007-01-26 5:27 PM Nice thoughts Brian - if only the playing field were that level. What about aircraft pollution? Why should motorists subsidise that as we currently appear to? We should not. I don't see how we do.Why do we (the rest of the world) let the Yanks have the economic advantage of being the world's most wasteful nation without more than token protests from Grasping Gordon and Tag along Tony? Well, what can we really do to stop them if they choose to do so? I suppose we could pout and stamp our foot! In fact they seem to be doing much more "off camera" than Bush and Co seem aware of (or want to admit to!).Much of global warming seems to be a natural progression of the planet's normal cycle so why should we meekly agree to be penalised and blamed for something which, to a very large degree, we neither caused nor can stop? But the rest of the warming effect, now widely recognised as far and away the largest part, is our contribution. It is than we can, and I believe must, control.We are indeed on different planets to both the Yanks and our own Government who are so hell bent on being politically correct they will tax everything that moves if they can get away with it. Don't see the PC connection with so called green taxes, they are just cynical exploitation of a need to pay for Iraq! Similarly, carbon trading is just a way of generating revenues, it can't work against warming in its present form. It trades apples for grapefruit!I'm surprised that the greenhouse gaseous planet warming energy discharged by an uphill cyclist isn't taxed at the top of each hill?Could happen in due course, especially if he/she breaks wind on the way up! RichardAnswers above! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest starspirit Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 Well Brian, The powerful nations of the EU could unite and tell the Yanks to sod off. Unless the situation has changed, there is currently no duty on aviation fuel. I would hate to live in a no farting zone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howie Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 Every little bit helps as they say, and if we are unwilling to make our own small contribution then then that hardly puts us in a position where we feel entitled to criticise goverments etc. How about replacing standard light bulbs with low energy ones through natural wastage. A recent survey states that if every household in Britain were given low energy bulbs, then this would be of more benifit to the enviroment, and at a fraction of the cost than all of those wonderfull windfarms now blighting our countryside. This does not take into account the vested interests many of our leaders have in such projects of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Frank Wilkinson Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 To get back to something remotely concerning road pricing I'd like to give you an example of why I despise the average local council and the bureaucrats who run them. (Apart from the fact that their employees take off three times more sick days than the private sector and that a large percentage of the non-jobs that some of them hold should be scrapped.)My local authority started charging for on-street parking, using 'Pay and Display' meters. However, after a time some jobsworth noticed that all the poor sods who'd paid for two hours, but found their shopping had only taken thirty minutes, were giving their unexpired tickets to other motorists so that they could park free of charge for the remaining time.This of course so enraged the Assistant-Under-Director-Parking-Enforcement and Facilitation (Off-Street), that the council replaced all the machines with ones where we now have to type in our registration numbers, so that we can no longer pass on our tickets.However, whilst they are happy to spend money on much more complex parking meters to stop us committing this heinous offence, the vindictive and avaricious buggers cannot seem to design one that gives change!Needless to say, an hour's parking is always about £1.20 and if you've not got the correct change then you have to put in £1.50 or at worst £2.00. If I've paid for an hour's parking and only use 15 minutes, why shouldn't I be able to pass on the ticket? Even worse is that you can pay over the odds because the machine won't give change, but if you are five minutes late they will give you a parking ticket, the cost of which bears absolutely no relationship to the offence committed.In my experience, government, both local and national, is capable of practices that would make even the greediest and most fervent supporter of capitalism blush!Finally, since this policy started, I have only been into the town centre of Bolton when it has been absolutely essential, which pains me as a retailer who has several town-centre shops himself, but I will not support this kind of council-sponsored avarice. A plague on the lot of them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 Well said Frank, the same problem at the local Hopital type in your Reg ..........SHAME ON THEM. :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest starspirit Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 You are absolutely right Frank and I totally agree with you. It would not be so bad preventing the dual use of tickets had the parking time not already been fully paid for. Those greedy self righteous bu##ers want dual payment for the same space. Even more insidious the recording of our registration numbers for big brother. Even worse is that we are also paying for all these pompous pratts and their machines out of our taxation in the first place. I suppose this is what they mean by spending road fund licence money on transport related issues? Surely this unfair practice infringes our human rights Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith T Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 Agree with every word Frank says (this time!) - funnily enough I don't seem to mind paying to park the Motorhome in France on the odd and very unusual times that is necessary....and there, not only can you get change, but you also usually pay only between 9-12 and 2 -5.... ...unlike here in Truro where you pay 24 hours a day, and yes, no change available. You also have to pay when you go in rather than when you leave. I rarely take the car in now, preferring my 'free' bus pass, which of course is not 'free' as we are already paying in our Council Tax! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 starspirit - 2007-01-26 6:24 PM Well Brian, The powerful nations of the EU could unite and tell the Yanks to sod off. Unless the situation has changed, there is currently no duty on aviation fuel. I would hate to live in a no farting zone. 1 Well, yes, they could. But they won't! Just think where we'd be without Uncle Bill to help run all our computers!2 No, but I don't see that as a subsidy to airlines from motorists. It might be argued to be a subsidy to all who fly from everyone, whether they fly, drive, or whatever. But arguing that is a bit like arguing that food is subsidised because it isn't taxed.3 It all depends on who is doing it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest starspirit Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 Brian Re 2. Maybe not a direct subsidy but as very little of the money raised from motorists goes back into roads and as aviation has very little taxation, the money for Iraq and all other government spending has to come from somewhere and so I reckon we are indirectly subsidising air travel. The aviation lobby is more powerful than the auto lobby worldwide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
net-traveller Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 Picked this up today. Rest of europe seems far more trusting of their elected representatives than we are. http://networks.silicon.com/mobile/0,39024665,39167402,00.htm ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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