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Road to nowhere
Page 9
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Editor-in-chief Brian Weatherley believes road charging is the only way we are ever going to tackle congestion and compete fairly with foreign hauliers — and everyone who signed the internet petition against it is barking up the wrong tree.
Lath( I've been pestered by e-mails from people wanting me to sign their petition against road tolling. But if they think there's a better way of tackling congestion they obviously know something I don't.
Meanwhile, I keep hearing that road charging is a tax on our freedom of movement and another example of a 'Big Brother state'. Oh, grow up. The fact that the government has finally bitten the bullet on road charging (after running scared from the Lorry Road User Charge) proves it's impossible to get people to migrate voluntarily to pubic transport, or even to make their journeys outside the rush hour. But considering the state of public transport and the fact you're guaranteed a seat in your own car, that's hardly surprising.
Then there's global warming. If we don't start curbing traffic growth now, then in 10 years' time many of those people who signed this petition will be driving through a metre of water.
But surely there's a better way to do it. How about scrapping road tax and putting it all on fuel as the ultimate 'pay-as-yougo'? Great for all those low-mileage car drivers who spend their time going nowhere bad for UK truck operators who'll end up paying through the nose while Continental operators rock up at Dover with their tanks filled with cheap diesel. Yes that's a very good idea... not. Road tolling isn't one way to finally make foreign LGVs pay for sharing our roads it's the only way.