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Road toll is industry death knoll
Page 28
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I READ Brian Weatherley's comments with disbelief when he dismissed 1.6 million, as he put it,"disgruntled motorists" writing to protest about road tolling. I didn't sign any petition.mainly because I think it's a waste of time and effort—what this Prime Minister wants will happen, no matter how many people protest.
Road tolling will NOT tackle road congestion and anyone who thinks it will is going to receive a shock in a few years time when this country comes to a complete standstill.This is just another moneymaking racket for the government.
Don't believe it? Then go back to when road tax for cars was introduced. We were told then that all the revenue was going to be spent building and improving the roads— and look what happened. Recently we have had a tax on flights on the grounds of the environmental pollution. And how much will be used for tackling that pollution? None. It will go into the government's coffers.
I would like to know why Mr Weatherley thinks this is the best solution when there are others available, and who does he think will take the brunt of this tax? Commercial vehicles will, because they have to use the road.and you can bet local councils will ban them from small villages and towns. thus sending them onto motorways — which will be the most expensive routes louse.
What Mr Weatherley has not explained is where the extra money is going to come from. Most British transport businesses are struggling to cope with the price ol Fuel already. How do you think they will survive this added tax, and how do they charge their customers unless they start to price by weight and mileage?
I wonder who will be paying for Mr Weatherley's road tolling when he is travelling to and from work, and who is going to pay for the road tolling when Commercial Motor roadtests vehicles? The short answer would be the CM readers. Oh yes, that would be me and others like me.
Has he thought about people that do not have access to the railways or even a public bus service ?
If he and the government are serious about reducing road congestion, there are a few things they can do: • Widen all motorways and improve the A and B roads • Build multi-storey car parks outside major towns and provide free bus travel into the cities • Invest in more buses • Revamp the railways so more trains run— and either make them free or subsidise them heavily • Have truck lanes for commercial vehicles on motorways.
People will use public transport, but only when it is affordable, reliable and clean. Not only will this help congestion; it will also provide a lot more jobs.
For the editor-in-chief of a road transport magazine to extol the government's plans to grab more money from an industry that it has done its best to destroy just bewilders me.
Billy Allen via e-mail