tokyo_james

Is this a new "stealth" tax ??


Daily Charges for London


Anyone know if this will really happen??

Dog Biscuit

Due to start 17-02-03 if I remember correctly.

nphnet

I must disagree with my learned friend, the idea is not necessarily a bad thing, I think it will just be implemented too quickly and push the problems elsewhere, I look forward to the day when we pay for what we actually use. Too many people waste natural resources because they are too damn lazy to walk or ride. I keep my driving to a minimum and only use the car for fun driving. I walk/cycle/ take the train if possible.

If you live or work in London then these people are clogging up Londons roads which could be put to much better use, someone must do something, I just fear the wrong people will end up paying..

The fine will be

mikerich

I understand that it all gets considerably cheaper if you live in the designated area. Am I right?
Bit like the tolls the city used to impose! TINNOGE (work that one out )
At least it's better than his previous idea of free public transport in London - funded by the ratepayers

Tonky

Slightly off topic, but I do a 10 mile commute twice daily on weekdays, which is usually a heavily congested pain in the rear! We're always staggered by the difference when the kids are on school holidays when traffic is sparse in comparison, and I can do the trip in a fraction of the time.

Clearly it isn't commuters going to and from work, and people going about their daily business causing the congestion, (and this is a very busy area industrially and commercially) it's little snots being driven to school by mums in huge 4X4s and people carriers.

I know London is a different kettle of fish but I just wondered if down there you see a similar reduction in traffic when the kids are on holiday?

Tifosi Red

The whole half-term / school holiday thing is wierd isn't it? I've always put it down to people (commuters) staying at home to spend time with their kids... whatever the reason it is most welcome to have your journey time cut in half

ianl

Absolutely the same down here Cedric - how I look forward to the holidays!

Once all the.....lets be politically correct here........parents in their sodding great 4x4's are off the road (though, in fairness, you never know when you might encounter a rather tricky gravel driveway in South London ) my journey time reduces from 60 mins to 35! (my record, 5am on a Sunday morning 24 min's )

The only trouble is, having 2 kids at school myself (they walk!!!) there is a certain amount of pressure for me to take my time off in the school hol's, so I cannot take full advantage of these 'prime' commuting periods

Kobe

my son used to walk to and from school - but since I got the S I always find a 7 year old sitting in the seat when I get to the garage with a big grin on his face - it's hard to resist taking him in the car even if it is only round the corner -

Tonky

Actually there are good sound reasons as we all know, why parents should take their kids to school especially if it's any distance, sad though that is, so it was more of an observation than a winge! I couldn't help the mild SUV pi$$ take. When I'd been shooting in Powys with my 4X4 I used to come home with the car plastered in mud halfway up the doors, the inside was no better after ferrying guys with muddy wellies and their dogs about during the day. One of my neighbours who had a gleaming Range Rover which he used to drive 3 miles to work every day, used to throw up his hands in horror when he saw me come home! During the time he had it, it never went in long grass never mind off road. He actually said to me " I wouldn't have one of these if it was going to get in that state!" ROFL!

ukliam

I could accept the charges for drivers in London if the public transport system was better. But as someone who likes a good night out in London, you find me a better way to get home without driving... say I come out of a club at 4-6am, there is no tube service running so you have to wait for that, you get on that and wait quarter of an hour for a train. You get to the main line station and the first train back is at like 7-8am, then as it's a weekend there is normally track work, so you have to change trains or get on a bus for part of the journey. All in all from getting out of the club to getting home it can take up to 4 hours, or you could jump in a car and do it in 45mins/1hour... you choose.