Pay As You Drive

[Nathan]

If you drive a car, please read -
Sarah Kennedy was talking about this proposed car tax scheme on Radio 2. Apparently there is only one month left to register your objection to the 'Pay As You Go' road tax.
The petition is on the 10 Downing St website but they didn't tell anybody about it. Therefore at the time of Sarah's comments only 250,000 people had signed it and 750,000 signatures are required for the government to at least take any notice.
Once you've given your details (you don't have to give your full address, just house number and postcode will do), they will send you an email with a link in it. Once you click on that link, you'll have signed the petition.
The government's proposal to introduce road pricing will mean you having to purchase a tracking device for your car and paying a monthly bill to use it. The tracking device will cost about 200 and in a recent study by the BBC, the lowest monthly bill was 28 for a rural florist and 194 for a delivery driver. A non working mother who used the car to take the kids to school paid 86 in one month.
On top of this massive increase in tax, you will be tracked. Somebody will know where you are at all times. They will also know how fast you have been going, so even if you accidentally creep over a speed limit in time you can probably expect a Notice of Intended Prosecution with your monthly bill.
If you are concerned about this Orwellian plan and want to stop the constant bashing of the car driver, please sign the petition on No 10's new website (link below) and pass this on to as many people as possible. Sign up if you value your freedom and democratic rights -
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/traveltax

[Si Hunt]

Thanks Nathan. I've just e-mailed a hell of a lot of people and told them about this. The good news is that the petition was up to 730,000 when I signed just now.

What I don't understand is how this sort of thing isn't more publicised. Why haven't the papers gotton hold of it and championed it?

Si.

[Paul Monk]

I wouldn't mind paying more to use my car if there was a viable alternative but outside cities public transport, especially buses, is terrible. And its not like the government is making any effort to reduce the price of public transport just the opposite. In fact I read a story saying that train users should expect to see two price rises a year. Soon I won't be able to afford to get to work any way other than walking but I expect they'll tax that soon.

[Si Hunt]

It makes me mad that whatever initiative they introduce to improve things, WE always have to pay. I don't know where it can come from, sponsors, lottery, whatever, but frankly I don't care. I've no issues about privacy or people knowing where I am (I have nothing to hide), but don't expect ME to find an extra 100 a month that I don't have to fund YOUR initiative.

Si.

[Paul Monk]

Quite right. What happens if everyone refuses to buy one of these tracking devices? I certainly don't have 200 kicking around. They can't put us all in prison cos there's only one space left or something.

[Nathan]

I don't mind some kind of trade off of Carbon Usage - ie save household bills and don't fly = drive further, or some kind of top milage limit after which pay per mile kicks in (maybe with milage trading fro those who don't drive much meaning if you drive less you can earn).

But a scheme as proposed is just ridiculous and doesn't address any of the issues it needs to.

[Paul Monk]

Exactly. How exactly does that reduce carbon emissions? It just doesn't make sense.
I'll sign the petition later I think.(For all the good it will do)

[Si Hunt]

It might help so much as, for example, I might now step up my search for a closer job if I'm being taxed to oblivion for the miles I do. But it's not right - bullying people and forcing them into changing their life choices. And it's always US that has to pay or change isn't it? I'd buy an electric car if I could, but of course they'll never be phased in because then all the rich oil companies would see profits dip.

Si.

[Ralph]

Signed

[Si Hunt]

It seems to have gained 12,000 "signatures" in the last two hours!

Si.

[Trudi G]

Well if they halved the tax on fuel and dropped road tax, i'd say it was a good idea, but it seems to me it's just another way for the government to make money.

[Paul Monk]

Agreed. Has there been any talk of this replacing road tax or will this be on top of?

[Pip Madeley]

I've signed it, and I'll send it on to everyone. I don't drive, but I still think it's a daft idea.

[Nathan]

It seems to have gained 12,000 "signatures" in the last two hours!

Si.

It's the power of round robin emails

[Larry]

this is the first i've heard about this tax but it's just typical of this thieving government what's going to come next a tax for walking on the pavement.

[Ralph]

It's up by around 34000 since I signed. Thats been a lot of heavy emailing - I need to lie down now...

[Trudi G]

this is the first i've heard about this tax but it's just typical of this thieving government what's going to come next a tax for walking on the pavement.

They will probably try to reinstate window tax.

[Andrew Curnow]

802,000+ now - thanks for the link Nathan!

[Rob McCow]

I'll join that club - me and 813,011 others!

[Si Hunt]

How does this work then? Is it set up by the public? Who chooses the topics? I'm guessing that members of the public are free to start polls on topical issues on the Downing Street website and the Government are obliged to take notice of anything that gets enough votes to indicate significant public opinion on something. Am I right?

If this gets 1m hits, surely the government would have a hard job ignoring it? That would be amazing for an internet poll that nobody has been told about.

Si.

[Rob McCow]

Brace your email inboxes, everyone!

Tony Blair is planning to put even further strain on Number 10’s creaking IT infrastructure, by emailing everyone who’s signed the infamous petition against road charging.

Over 1.4 million Brits have signed the online petition so far, with the servers handling the petition site buckling under the strain. Apparently there have been cabinet level mutterings suggesting whoever dreamt up the e-petition scheme was a “prat”, even as the transport secretary said, in effect, “debate is good…but we’re doing it anyway”

Now, the London Standard reports, Blair will personally email the shrieking populace to put their minds at ease about the proposals, presumably putting across the government’s argument that most people will pay less under the scheme. And it'll save the environment. Maybe. Problem is these arguments will cut little ice with those whose main objection is the idea of being tracked in their cars 24x7. Or with those who believe they have a divine right to drive where they bloody well please.

First though, Tony has to make some tough choices. Does he further complicate matters by loading the government’s IT systems with what millions will simply decide is spam.

Or will he turn to the fabled “secret” email system at number 10. You know, the one that was allegedly used to discuss cash for honours, and, in defiance of all the rules of government IT projects, worked like a charm.

Could this be all just a Government ruse to get our precious email addresses? I'd think twice about signing any future petitions if I'm going to get an email from the PM telling me how wrong I am.

[Si Hunt]

It sounds like something they can then say they've done as a way of addressing the concern without actually changing their precious plans.

I've heard nothing to suggest I'll "pay less". If the boxes are free and the daily tariff is less than my tax (and replaces it) then fine. I've said it before, I don't give two hoots who knows where I am - as long as they don't expect ME to pay for them to spy on me.

Si.

[Paul Monk]

Have the government said anything about this scheme replacing tax though?
I've heard nothing and I'm sure this will be on top of road tax.

[Si Hunt]

I'm just trying to work out how on Earth most people will apparently be better off!

Si.

[Jason Thompson]

And that's the second biggest problem with the whole idea (the biggest obviously being the idea that everyone who drives should be tracked everywhere they go). The same thing cropped up with the ID card proposal. They talk about making something compulsory, but then insist we pay for it! I don't drive, but if I did I would certainly object to being effectively forced to fork out an extra 200 for something I don't want.

And of course this means everyone who drives is paying per mile twice, since obviously every mile you drive consumes petrol that you have to pay for.

The scary thing is that someone has apparently come up with this idea that you should be charged a variable rate depending on the type of roads you use, but when someone realised that in order to do that you have to track the car's movements no-one at the decision-making level found that idea remotely worrying....

Of course, one might wonder what the government will do when (not if, not by a long chalk) the majority of drivers refuse to pay the 200 and have the tracking box installed.

And if Tony Blair e-mails me then I shall reply and ask him the same questions everyone is asking in forums like this. Petitions are great starting points, but all it is is a lot of signatures saying 'we object'. There needs to be a proper airing of the views so they know precisely what we are objecting to, in detail.