Congestion Charges

[Guigsy]

The problem is that driving is too cheap... honest. It costs a lot of money to run public transport. They are improving trains (and buses a little), but it'll take time and beeelions of pounds of investment because it's so crap at the moment. Until the cost of motoring rises, it can't compete.

If driving is so expensive, why do some many people do it? People live in places that are a long way from work and take jobs that mean they have to drive.

This is the bit that really sucks. We are going to pay through the nose for the next twenty years or so to drive to work until people adjust their lives so they don't make these long and frequent journeys between work and home. Other countries don't commute as far as we do, I think only America is worse, and they are in a worse state than we are.

It's all because in the 50s and 60s the UK was quite rich. The government thought public transport was in the past and cars were the future. They basically dumped public transport and pumped it into roads. Everyone got a garage and a driveway and people were able to live tens of miles from work. Meanwhile Europe was bombed to poo and poor as anything. They invested all their money in modern public transport (instead of our 200 year old designs). Now they have cities as big as ours, but their public transport can cope. They also have suburbs and local shops instead of commuter-belts of towns and distant IKEAS... It's all because of crappy planning +40 years ago and now we have to pay...

 

[v0n]

The problem is that driving is too cheap...

Motoring in UK is second most expensive in the world, if you don't count places of limited size, like Hong Kong and Singapore. Our economy drives people out of towns, while private companies running public transport rob us blind (the most expensive public transport in Europe). One mile of train travel in UK cost more than a mile of flight. Not because flights are cheap, but because trains are so expensive. You can't have people being pushed by everyone from corner to corner and expect them to follow some bizarre idea of saving the planet. Between bread on the table and melting ice caps, to be quite honest, screw the ice caps.

 

[jimblowscash]

It's not the goverment so much as Red Ken. Quite why he was put in as Major I have no idea; perhaps he didn't explain his grand idea of congestion charging.

I'm sure at least 75% of londoners wouldn't think twice about giving him a smack round the head if he ever lowered himself in to coming onto public transport.

ha i shared a carrage with him four times now on my daily commute from bank to victoria, and each time there has been an angry looking scrum round him, although there are seats available he seems to get penned in by swetty commuters!

 

[Guigsy]

Motoring in UK is second most expensive in the world, if you don't count places of limited size, like Hong Kong and Singapore. Our economy drives people out of towns

Yes, stupid house prices do make people travel further, but that's because the decisions planners took 40 years ago. Now they are building houses back in the centre of cities, and enough of it to keep the prices low.

...while private companies running public transport rob us blind (the most expensive public transport in Europe). One mile of train travel in UK cost more than a mile of flight. Not because flights are cheap, but because trains are so expensive.

That's because the train system is 200 years old, not built to work together and hopelessly inefficient. If it was all built from scratch (like it was in Europe after the war), it'd be fine. For us to catch up, we are going to have to spend billions upgrading rail. Anyway, flight is going to go stupidly expensive soon too because it screws over the environment royally. Travel Europe now because you aren't going to be able to in 10 years.

You can't have people being pushed by everyone from corner to corner and expect them to follow some bizarre idea of saving the planet. Between bread on the table and melting ice caps, to be quite honest, screw the ice caps.

Like I said, basically we're screwed either way. We either starve now, or we drown later.

 

[cymap]

Just watching a report on the BBC about congestion charging, saying "people will be charged more for when they choose to travel"!

I'm sorry but this really get my goat, most people don't "choose" to travel at a certain time, their employer dictates their working hours and for most that is 09:00 to 17:30

Obviously they will hit the motorist as they are an easy target, just another TAX for going to do a honest days work. Many many people "got on their bike" and found a job miles away from home to make sure they could provide for their family, now they are to be rewarded for their hard work!!

HEADRAT

Yes, because the only way into and out of the centre of London is by car, isn't it?

 

[cymap]

I pay £1320 a year to drive in London, thats before I pay road tax, insurance and petrol tax not to mention car parking at £4 an hour

utter joke :S

Use public transport.

 

[cymap]

ha i shared a carrage with him four times now on my daily commute from bank to victoria, and each time there has been an angry looking scrum round him, although there are seats available he seems to get penned in by swetty commuters!

Ah yes, the same londoners that voted for him, twice.