E-petition: Response from Tony Blair - You say

What do you think of Tony Blair's response to the road-charging petitioners? Below are a selection of whatcar.com readers' views. Tell us your thoughts by clicking here.

Your views
Blair makes a valid point about needing to change people's behaviour when it comes to driving. Our roads are going to get more congested, as car ownership continues to increase.

However, in proposing pay as you drive taxes the Labour Government is reverting to type and using a punishment to change behaviour. TB's response has no reference to what alternative transport solutions they will offer as part of their grand plan. Without economical and efficient public transport, people who need to travel will remain in their cars.

My impression is that the whole plan and TB's defence of it is very extreme. I can't help but feel that they are using this highly unpopular proposal to soften us all up for their "real plan". Don't tolls for trunk roads and motorways look reasonable in comparison?
Anthony Latchem

I am completely at a loss as to how road pricing will reduce congestion.

It will quite simply just move it.

If one is to be charged £1.00 per mile on a busy motorway, but only 50p per mile on a B road, that runs in the same general direction. It is quite clear that the majority of people will change their journey to the B road.

Now which of the 2 roads is better for handling large volumes of traffic ?

I have had enough of Mr Ladyman spouting about how only those who travel at peak times will pay more. People travel at peak times not out of choice, but because they need to get to work or school.

I do not wake up in the morning and think, I know I will drive to work at 8.00am today, that will be fun.

I am absolutely certain that the recent discussions regarding flexible working, are part of a build up to the road charging. So that the Government can say, well it is your choice to travel at peak times, now give us your money.

The government do not seem to be able to understand that for many small business (which a very large percentage of the working population are employed by) are not in a position where flexible working is viable.

If the Government want to do this, then they rather need to put the proper structure in place first. Give us a proper public transport system, where a train journey to Manchester is not 3-4 times the cost of flying. If we have viable cost effective alternatives then we will use them.

So Tony mate, perhaps the Carrot not the Stick !
James Shaw

1. I don't care if the government knows where I have driven my car - I have nothing to hide.

2. I might be tempted to believe that road pricing wasn't a stealth tax if the money currently stumped up by motorists was being spent on transport.

3. Public transport was supposed to be a priority when this government came to power. Why is it no better ?

4. Public transport is ideal in and between large urban areas. It's never going to be practical and convenient everywhere.

5. Why not do something to limit the number of cars in the country, instead of Mr. Blair suggesting it's something that is just going to happen ?
Howard Davies

1 The Toll Tax "reply" is classic Blair spin and whitewash.

2 Toll Tax tracking technology involves massive loss of privacy.

3 Toll Tax ignores the massive taxes already generated by motorists.

4 Toll Tax is massively unfair and divides society further into haves
and have-nots.

5 Ministers and their ilk will not pay, a replay of the Soviet
Union's centre-lane for apparatchiks.

6 Toll tax avoids the fact that most road improvements I see involve
slowing traffic down, and increasing congestion.
David Jefferis

The first point the mail from Prime Minister Blair fails to take account of is that much of the road congestion in and around our cities and towns has actually been created by the highways department at both national and local level changing the design of roads creating delay to traffic flow.

The example in my town of Buxton of this road control madness has seen the development over a distance of less than one mile of 12 set of traffic lights made up of 11 pedestrian lights and traffic control set, in addition over same stretch of road there are 4 roundabouts. One 400 yards stretch of this road has three roundabouts 4 sets pedestrian lights and for good measure two speed cameras between two of pedestrian lights. So guess where the traffic build up?

10 years ago this was not in existence and pedestrian and vehicles flowed without hinder, now it is not unusual to see traffic backed from this pinch point two miles either side of the town

The claim that charging will resolve this and help pay for public transport is just an outright lie, if the vast sums of money already raised from the motorist and HGV traffic had been used for development of usable rail networks, tramways and other public transport then we would not be in the position we are today. However what we have with this government is a group of total hypocrites who while driving around in energy inefficient cars and heavy use of planes want to curtail the general public from travelling and eventually drive car owners off the road.

Another example this control freakishness, deciding who should drive what type of vehicle and where is the Mayor of London deciding he will penalise four by fours (I do not drive one).

The letter from Tony Blair does nothing to convince me that this government led by the ultra greedy and sneaky chancellor of the exchequer Gordon Brown are using congestion much of which is created by determined effort to deliberately slow traffic down and then say we need to charge you the motorist more much more to speed things up.

Clearly however when he talks about reducing current levels of travel tax, we can be sure of one thing anything that replaces road tax, fuel duty and insurance tax will cost a lot more and when you consider the billions required to set a national traffic road charge scheme, the cost to the individual will be enormous.

I also certainly do not accept that this is not part of the governments BIG BROTHER plans along with council snooping, town and road camera monitoring of nearly every step we take, we will soon be more heavily policed the anything the communists could ever dream up.
Mike Moore

I completely accept the need to tackle congestion, but am equally unconvinced that the government-provided IT systems necessary to monitor and manage road pricing will either be feasible or viable. It is already being suggested that it will lead to more untaxed vehicles as a means of avoidance.

Fuel tax is a crude system, but does relate to use and through fuel consumption the size of the vehicle, and hence wear and tear on the roads as well as emissions. Also higher rates would cost nothing to administer and could not be classified as a stealth tax. Commercial users (if deemed appropriate) could obtain a rebate through the VAT system. It has the great attraction that it could be introduced very quickly.

The road fund licence should then be reduced to a flat rate of say £1000 to cover administration and supervision of MoT and insurance. I personally would go further and issue new plates each year as proof.

The ultimate goal must be that the fuel tax includes a third party liability insurance scheme as well. This would be radical to implement but long term would simplify many issues, not least that of uninsured drivers.
George Koopman

Regional trials are the next step for congestion charges, for example in Birmingham. However, every car in the country will still require a black box fitting - because cars tend to drive about, don't they!? Therefore, to fairly charge every car entering a region, boxes need to be fitted to ALL cars nationally. How can regional trials be introduced fairly - it's nonsense! Also, drivers will be abandoning their cars outside cities, causing problems in residential areas, plus using alternative roads unsuitable for high volumes of traffic just to avoid charges.

Population is the main issue in this country. Too many people, too overcrowded, increasing waste and emissions. Instead of promoting family issues and encouraging immigration, this government needs to start to consider population controls. This is the key to many issues.
N Winnall

When is this taxation of motorists going to stop? Not only road tax, not only petrol prices, now this. It's a joke.

This country needs to get some backbone put its foot down and refuse to pay. We're paying for a war nobody wanted and we have no choice. We put these people in power yet we don't choose what we actually want.
Mr M Hambridge