privatising roads

[Garry Edwards]

There was a plan up here a few years back to levy a charge for use of the mototorways, but it proved a tad on the unpopular side, so it was quietly dropped.....

I think you'll find that it's just been put on hold until we have the 'benefit' of the Pan-European satnav system that will be accurate to a millimetre or two, instead of to 10 metres. This system will allow big brother to know exactly where our cars are at all times and exactly what speed they are being driven at.

They can then send us automatic speeding fines and charges for road usage...

 

[boyfalldown]

Having worked with the North West's utilities company, Water is cheap compared to what actually goes into delivering and removing water from your property.

Cause they make an horrendous lose every year as a result of this horrendous undercharges

 

[gazedd]

Cause they make an horrendous lose every year as a result of this horrendous undercharges

The corporate response is that they have to bank money as they are regulated every 4 years (iirc) and so if they cannot raise a price at their next review they have to bank the money for further development.

When **** hits the fan and a pipe bursts, it gets fixed as fast as possible because money is there to do it. If it was truly privatised and allowed to work like Gas and Leccy, you probably wouldn't get as fast a fix because money is not always available nor the specialist knowledge of a company knowing EVERYTHING about the issue as they are the only people involved in delivering that product soley to your area.

I won't get into all the BS about it but having worked closely with this industry, I will say I do think they do a good job.

 

[boyfalldown]

The corporate response is that they have to bank money as they are regulated every 4 years (iirc) and so if they cannot raise a price at their next review they have to bank the money for further development.

When **** hits the fan and a pipe bursts, it gets fixed as fast as possible because money is there to do it. If it was truly privatised and allowed to work like Gas and Leccy, you probably wouldn't get as fast a fix because money is not always available nor the specialist knowledge of a company knowing EVERYTHING about the issue as they are the only people involved in delivering that product soley to your area.

I won't get into all the BS about it but having worked closely with this industry, I will say I do think they do a good job.

its a wonderful corporate response . But they do make a healthy profit year on year so clearly aren't undercharging as you implied. I'm far from against their right to turn a good profit, but to imply an undercharge whilst doing so (and a far from unhealthy profit), is cynical at best

 

[lepster74]

There is b****r all chance this will happen.

It's all a smokescreen to take away focus from the NHS reform bill that was in the Lords today. Much like the stupid suggestions that have been proposed within the last week such as if someone refuses to take a position the job centre offers they will lose 3yrs benefit.

It worked because no tv channel or news agency has covered the NHS reform protest marches over the weekend and today the Lords effectively privatised the NHS.

Distraction politics as its best. B*stards!

 

[ding76uk]

There is b****r all chance this will happen.

It's all a smokescreen to take away focus from the NHS reform bill that was in the Lords today. Much like the stupid suggestions that have been proposed within the last week such as if someone refuses to take a position the job centre offers they will lose 3yrs benefit.

It worked because no tv channel or news agency has covered the NHS reform protest marches over the weekend and today the Lords effectively privatised the NHS.

Distraction politics as its best. B*stards!

Nail. Head!

 

[TriggerHappy]

There is b****r all chance this will happen.

It's all a smokescreen to take away focus from the NHS reform bill that was in the Lords today. Much like the stupid suggestions that have been proposed within the last week such as if someone refuses to take a position the job centre offers they will lose 3yrs benefit.

It worked because no tv channel or news agency has covered the NHS reform protest marches over the weekend and today the Lords effectively privatised the NHS.

Distraction politics as its best. B*stards!

Absolutely. I haven't seen a peep mentioned of the NHS on BBC News today although the Guardian has given it some coverage fortunately.

Incidentally, I just stumbled across this excellent and thorough article highlighting the extensive vested interests of Lords and MPs in privatising the NHS. There's a couple of more tenuous ties in there but on the whole it makes for quite shocking reading when so many stand to gain so substantially from the very thing they are voting on. It's a no brainer from a personal greed perspective really and is little wonder the bill is getting so far despite the widespread criticism from the general public and official (though powerless) medical bodies. Impartial and democratic process my arse!

 

[archamedes]

So if this comes in we still have to pay for a tax disc, still pay high taxes on petrol and correct me If i'm wrong, but aren't public roads in our towns fixed by the council... or council paid contractors or is it the highways agency? Because if it is the council then doesn't our council tax cover that?

Forgive me if I am wrong, I'm not top of the pops on all this tax business

 

[TriggerHappy]

So if this comes in we still have to pay for a tax disc, still pay high taxes on petrol and correct me If i'm wrong, but aren't public roads in our towns fixed by the council... or council paid contractors or is it the highways agency? Because if it is the council then doesn't our council tax cover that?

Forgive me if I am wrong, I'm not top of the pops on all this tax business

Who knows :shrug: Presumably they'll say they still need to maintain the current road network so can't afford to do so on any less but then there'll be additional toll areas that add to the cost for the driver. I certainly can't see petrol and VED (tax disc) changing as they're unrelated to the running of the roads.




I'd also like to take a moment to credit the jaffa cake munchers....err I mean moderators for allowing this thread to run even though it strays into politics. Have a jaffa cake or two on me

 

[norters]

I went to bed last night in 2012 and woke up in 1985! I know how Marty Mcfly must have felt!

At least I'll be able to wear my Crown Paints Liverpool shirt again. Although it may be a little tight.

 

[acetone]

I'm not sure it's just about "privatising" the roads. It's getting private investment which will mean tolls yes, but this has been stated as only for new roads, but I see no problem with the money government spends or the money central government gives local authorities to maintain the road going to a private firm if they can do a better job ( and to be honest where I live nobody could do a worse job)

If i'm wrong, but aren't public roads in our towns fixed by the council... or council paid contractors or is it the highways agency? Because if it is the council then doesn't our council tax cover that?

For trunk routes, Central Government pays 100% of their maintenance costs. For roads maintained by local authorities, Central Government will pay 50% of the costs for A-roads and 30% for B-roads, with the remaining cost of these (and the entire cost of unclassified roads) met by the local authority itself.

"Trunk route" is a legal term that describes any road or section of road under the control of central government or one of its executive agencies (such as the Highways Agency in England). They were established by the Trunk Road Act of 1936

 

[mortimerhill]

excellent news.

from now on to travel, we are lining the pockets of fat cats and shareholders.

The trains have worked so well!!!

Water is sooooo cheap and plentiful!!!!

:razz:

We've had privatised roads for sometime now. There is the M6 toll section which is an obvious explicit toll, but for 15 years or so we've had "shadow toll" roads. Most people will have used these roads without noticing and with no drop in road quality.

These alleged "fat cat shareholders" are probably the pension funds of ordinary working people or the indirect investment of people saving a modest sum each month through ISA or other savings schemes

 

[simon44]

These alleged "fat cat shareholders" are probably the pension funds of ordinary working people or the indirect investment of people saving a modest sum each month through ISA or other savings schemes

The best emotive post on this thread so far (probably)

 

[Forbiddenbiker]

Absolutely. I haven't seen a peep mentioned of the NHS on BBC News today although the Guardian has given it some coverage fortunately.

Incidentally, I just stumbled across this excellent and thorough article highlighting the extensive vested interests of Lords and MPs in privatising the NHS. There's a couple of more tenuous ties in there but on the whole it makes for quite shocking reading when so many stand to gain so substantially from the very thing they are voting on. It's a no brainer from a personal greed perspective really and is little wonder the bill is getting so far despite the widespread criticism from the general public and official (though powerless) medical bodies. Impartial and democratic process my arse!

Ah yes good point, another smokescreen, so bloody many nowadays ....

That really is shocking reading ...biased or not in the information not shown, clearly they all COULD gain given their connections, and they've already proved they are mostly dishonest with expenses. Lets face it the corporations and banks are have taken over our governing under the charade that we voted them in ... but, oh look! a puppeteer has control of the strings.

 

[Slaphead]

It's only new roads not existing roads.

For now.

Remember that the existing public road network is effectively an asset of the British government, and history has shown that the British government will willingly sell off it's assets if:-

1) They need the money, or..

2) The asset has become difficult and expensive to maintain, and they think they can get away it without too much public outcry.

I've been around long enough to have an inkling of where this is going, and I can see this potentially being quietly and gradually applied to certain parts of the existing infrastructure should it be in the interest of the government.

One thing the government is very good at exploiting is function creep.

 

[sportysnaps]

Why not keep it simple? (mr PM)


Spend all the money raised by road user’s road tax (vehicle excise duty)and fuel tax….


ON building and maintaining THE ROADS

simples

 

[Vantage]

It’s going to happen. will happen and your just have to suck up to it in your own way. As usual!

 

[TriggerHappy]

It’s going to happen. will happen and your just have to suck up to it in your own way. As usual!

Fantastic, constructive post. Thanks for your wonderful insight.

 

[Deleted member 49549]

Duplicate post.

 

[Deleted member 49549]

Why not keep it simple? (mr PM)


Spend all the money raised by road user’s road tax (vehicle excise duty)and fuel tax….


ON building and maintaining THE ROADS

simples

And all money raised by tobacco taxes to put towards flower gardens and benches for smokers use!

 

[panther_87k]

Motorists pay something like £40 odd billion per year in taxes (cant recall the exact amount but was around that figure), but only £9billion of this is spent each year on the country's infrastructure. (this was on one of the news programmes but i dont remember which one) How about they spend all the money they receive from motorists on the things that the motorists use, i.e roads, or is that just too simplistic of an idea as they do like to over complicate everything.

As for water shortage, would it be impossible to take sea water and remove the salt (and other impurities) and use that? Its a process thats already possible with the right facilities and would help (a tiny bit) with the rising sea levels.

 

[Deleted member 49549]

As for water shortage, would it be impossible to take sea water and remove the salt (and other impurities) and use that? Its a process thats already possible with the right facilities and would help (a tiny bit) with the rising sea levels.

Hi Kirsty, the do this in Australia and the Middle East. The big problem is that it takes a lot of energy to remove the salt.

 

[panther_87k]

Hi Kirsty, the do this in Australia and the Middle East. The big problem is that it takes a lot of energy to remove the salt.

I didn't know that, nice to learn something new.
Still could be worth the government or water companies looking into it.

 

[Matt]

Way too much politics here guys...

The way I understand it, private companies would be sponsoring some roads, which would ease the already double ****ed public purse.

OF course we should actually be fully funding the NHS, roads, water, leccy etc, overstaff them all and waste huge amounts of money on non jobs and keeping brothers in work, and save money at the same time....but some of that isn't possible without massive tax hikes. Vodafones 6bil,is a drop in the ocean compared with how much this country has overspent and continues to overspend

 

[Matt]

Oh and Scotland...it rains more there than here, so of course they have bloody water!!!

 

[Flash In The Pan]

Why not keep it simple? (mr PM)


Spend all the money raised by road user’s road tax (vehicle excise duty)and fuel tax….


ON building and maintaining THE ROADS

simples

That's what happens. Unfortunately the roads are in Afghanistan.......

 

[simon44]

Hi Kirsty, the do this in Australia and the Middle East. The big problem is that it takes a lot of energy to remove the salt.

Yes huge amounts of energy. It also increases the salinity of the surrounding area of sea, thus damaging eco systems.