Dazzag the cost of petrol tax in wales is ridiculous compared to the rest of the UK, I don't know why. Still we're paying around 50% of the cost.
The proposal is that what they will do, is take away the fuel tax and replace it with this 'Pay-as-you-drive' Tax. The charges will be set based on the roads your traveling, how much your travel, and what times your there.
So say the M25 between J7-22 (major junctions used during communte hours around here).. at 8:00am it would cost say £1.50/mile, but at 10:00am it would cost say £0.70/mile.
It would end up being like phones where you'll try to use the tiddly roads, and go to and from work at weird times just to make sure you get around paying that bit more. Though they'll probably even out the prices due to less traffic, it would cost less.
While I don't mind the idea in concept, the problem I do see is this will hit businesses harder. What is also worrying is that people (like Van) will actually back putting the charges onto the backs of Businesses more.
The problem is, it isn't just the 'adverage' person who is broke right now. Everyone is feeling the strain of the economy, and businesses in particular are slowly but surely moving away from the UK to Europe where it's cheaper. We're loosing quite a bit of big businesses and as a result we're loosing the potencial for jobs.
With this in effect it's going to have to come out of someones pocket rather than the companies. The cost will either be passed on to the consumer, or wages will drop. Although sure the light commuters like people won't actually see much change in thier overall out-goings, high communters will.
I think it's an extremely valid point, if they want to start making us pay more for the road then fine... but provide some decent [censored] public transport to replace it.
It costs me £1.50 to travel 5 miles down the road to town; to take the train in to London, I'm looking at another £20 return. Up to see the lass in Leeds is atleast £70!
Quite frankly it's cheaper to drive, even WITH this so-called new tax it'll STILL be cheaper to drive. I mean surely that's a problem of it's own.
I also don't understand the point in this ID Card system.. I mean they want to spend what... £13biln last time I checked to introduce them. Yeah wow a card that keeps tabs on me great; I'll gladly show it to the politician who thought up the idea as he bleeds to death in a horribly inefficient A&E while asking him why he felt those cards were more important than the nations health.
