Bag's Rants

We just see it as more stealth tax.

This article says that road charging won't deter drivers. They are more likely to change where and when they drive. Read more here.

My view is slightly different. Initially it will change the where and when they drive as they try and minimise costs but after a short while they will just slip back into the most convenient road as before. It will simply be seen as another tax and one that will drive many off the road and into unemployment. Due to travel costs making it not worth their while working. Remember the 'on your bike' get back to work adverts quite a few years ago. People did and I would think that a lot of people travel significantly to get to work. Travel which they can't claim for and have to pay out of their own pockets.

In addition people don't chose to use the roads then, as discussed previously, they have to be in work at particular times to suit their employers. Thus they cannot go in at 02:00 and finish work at 12:00 to minimise travel costs. They have to be in to suit other people. Then they make rush 'hour' bandings between 07:00 and 11:00 and 15:00 to 19:00 so it catches everybody and then off peak of 21:00 to 05:00 and standard the remainder. They imply that the rates for off peak make it worth your while to travel early. Cool, you get to pay an extra £5 a day or spend three hours in the company car park or working for free. Whoopie do da. Options available, we are a caring government, and none of them any use, you ungrateful b4$^4&ds. If they were used they would then increase peak hours or standard hours to compensate for the changes in traffic and the loss of revenue.

Luckily for me I can work from home and when I do have to travel my costs can be reclaimed. In addition as I spend most of my time working on government projects I get to claim back my own money which is kind of strange really.

Anyway, bottom line, another stealth tax and life will go on. Slowly chipping away at Joe Public. Surely someone will snap soon. Come on. Immigration to the US is looking better and better.

posted by Bag @ 6:16 pm