Congestion charging within the M25?

[Ste]

Seems like Ken is looking for more ways of charging the road user!

https://news.independent.co.uk/uk/transport/story.jsp?story=477415

[GFK]

They're trying to "drip-feed" congestion charging - I reckon it will cover most if not all of the UK by 2010.

If they did it all in one swoop, there'd be an uprising of 'poll tax protest' proportions. If they do it gradually, they think we're too dumb to notice they're doing it.

Beats the shit out of me why they don't tackle the real issue; "Why is public transport so shit?"

I bet most of the money us motorists have to pay out, doesn't even go towards improving the roads or transport system in any way. They just shovel it all into the NHS to help treat smokers who have given themselves fucking cancer.

</rant>

[Robby]

Well the tax on fags more than pays for the people that get smoking related diseases, it covers a pretty large portion of the NHS.

Public transport. Its just not worth it. I worked out some interesting little bits from one of the goverments plans.

The government plans to put £22bn into the rail network over the next 3 or 5 years. Now to most of us 22bn is just an unfeasibly large number, so you just write it off as 22bn.
The population of the UK is approximately 60 million people, going by the latest cencus. £22bn divided by 60 million = £366.66 per person going into the railways. Knock off the non taxpayers and it would be closer to £550 per taxpayer.

So. Most of us will be paying about £550 over the next few years to get the railways up to scratch. Well, not up to par with europe, but they might possibly work a bit better. possibly.

But then only about 10% of the population actually use the railways regularly. Which gives us the lovely little problem that the government are spending about £5000 on each of those people.

Thats enough to buy every commuter to a small car or a big bike. Tarmaccing the railways would give us a lot more direct roads into the centre of towns and cities, and ease congestion all over the UK.

But then, thats not going to happen. Labour loves pouring money into the railways.

[Bendy]

Good old Ken.

So house prices in London are so stupid that your average family can't actually afford to live there, so they move out, taking on a long commute (which nobody wants) and then end up paying not only the increased petrol to get to work, but a congestion charge too.

[Kris]

What gets me is that these railways are supposed to be privatised, i.e. 'self-sufficient'. What the fuck is the government doing bailing these companies out for?? All that happens is that the company fat-cats are creaming off the money and not doing a fucking thing about the real problems such as fucked lines or old stock. When is the government going to realise privatisation fucks everything up And when is the government going to stop these 'handouts'. Can you really see the company bosses saying to themselves "We really must improve - otherwise the government will bail us out again with £x billion" ?? Yea course

/rant
____________________
NSR125RR - ZXR750H1 - ZX9R E1 - GSF600S - GSF600SK3 - VFR400-NC30 - SV1000N - ST1100-R - CBR900RR-R - GSF1200SK5 - GSF600SK1 - VFR1200FA - GSXR1000K2 - ZZR1400 D8F
www.prisonplanet.com

[Kickstart]