Road Pricing - A road to nowhere?
Posted by shawthor on Friday, 02 March 2007 13:32:38
The road pricing debate rages incessantly onwards and nobody, either the public or the government knows how to tackle the issue.
It's going to take one hell of a hike in petrol duties to get drivers out of their cars - the demand is nearly completely inelastic. Why is this? The state of public transport in the UK is the obvious answer. This needs a huge capital investment in terms of bus and rail transport (not necessarily cheaper but definitely quicker, cleaner, more prompt and more of it).
I also believe that the government should be investing in more roads (I love the M6 toll - it's like the parting of the Red Sea approaching the toll with many of the vehicles (particularly lorries and trucks) opting for the M6). I would pay to travel on an M6 toll running alongside the existing road. The roads should be wider and in better condition with suitable lay-by facilities in the unfortunate event of any accidents. One day it will all grind to a crippling halt and will be too late.
Lorries should be made travel at off-peak times and possibly be offered incentives to do so - this will be better for them and ordinary motorists. I travel along the A14 every day and at least 50% of the traffic must be HGV's (and to rub salt in the wounds, they're erecting average speed camera's along the A14 - I would love to be able to exceed the speed limit in this area but you could only do that in the hours of deep darkness).
I love my car. I'll continue to travel to work, for leisure, with the family in my car. I'll continue to pay the petrol prices (grumbling along the way). I'll pay the road tax and any fines I may pick up (however annoying). But the government needs to realise that they don't wish to p... off such a large section of the population.
road pricing car