Orwellian measures like this one will continue to chase away the best and brightest Anglo-Britons, thereby leaving Mohammed and Achmed to take over the place.
Posted on 08/17/2008 10:14:06 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
'Spy-in-the-sky' paves way for road pricing
Motorists are being warned they may face "pay as you drive" road taxes as ministers launch the first ever trials of a scheme that could see them charged for every mile they drive.
By David Millward, Transport Editor
Last Updated: 1:06AM BST 18 Aug 2008
A prototype road-pricing device: the scheme involves a satellite tracking a vehicle's movements. Motorists will then receive a bill for their time on the road Photo: PAUL GROVER
The Telegraph can disclose that the Government is pushing ahead with plans for a national road-pricing scheme, including testing "spy in the sky" technology.
Eight areas of the country have been selected by ministers for secret pay-per-mile trials which will begin in 2010 and are expected to pave the way for tolls on motorways.
Motorists face paying up to £1.30 a mile during peak periods on the busiest roads.
Gordon Brown was thought to be against national road pricing, a flagship policy of the Blair administration.
But the detailed level of planning now underway indicates the issue it set to become a key battleground in the next general election – which is likely to coincide with the trials beginning.
It will leave Ruth Kelly, the Transport Secretary, particularly vulnerable as she defends her marginal Bolton West constituency.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Ping!
No, he's chanting "Told you so, told you so, told you so...."
I think a FReeper’s Tagline is “1984 was a warning, not a suggestion!”
Good grief. Why not just raise taxes on fuel?
Orwellian measures like this one will continue to chase away the best and brightest Anglo-Britons, thereby leaving Mohammed and Achmed to take over the place.
I guarantee this will be embraced by the “civil liberties” enthusiasts in the USA.
I’m thinking of how Democrat Senators perennially beat up Republican judicial nominees over the question of a “Constitutional right to privacy.” LOL!
Constitutional right to privacy. *eyeroll*
I think that’s $2.31/mile??? If I got 20mpg that = $46.20 + the $10/gal for the gas??? $56= to drive 20 miles?? Am I calculating this right???
Look what is happening with red-light cameras, cities are finding out people are actually slowing down and stopping at red-light, thereby reducing the revenue, therefore causing the maintenance of these programs to fall into debt.
The government just expects everyone to keep driving as they always do, no matter the costs. It does not work that way.
I wonder how long before Seattle tries this?
Ha ha, the commies in the Oregon government were already ahead of the curve on this one. That’s saying something when you can out do the Brit’s socialism.
Don’t worry - in a couple of years the libs will tell the Brits that they’re short money and the gas taxes will return, so you’ll have to pay both...
functionally, this means every car trip in your vehicle you take will be available for scrutiny/reporting for your entire mortal life. Combine this with other camera info, and an amazing amount of personal data on anyone, especially those in urbanized areas, can be compiled. People would live with the prospect of having their entire personal existence subject to retroactive scrutiny under who knows what legal threshold.
What you did 20 or 30 years ago, at a time you have mostly totally forgotten, may be brought up in minute detail for any number of nefarious purposes (character assassination being one).
I know there are some saints, pro-fascists with nothing to hide, and other divine persons on FR, but many of us do not care for the idea of our entire existence being subject to such electronic recall for decades after the fact. People seeking to enter politics would be particularly suceptible, given that the state would be able to pre-screen unwanted candidates for office via this criteria and offer the info out to opponents to prevent the person from ever being able to win.
Motorists are being warned they may face "pay as you drive" road taxes as ministers launch the first ever trials of a scheme that could see them charged for every mile they drive.
Um, don't we already have that in place through gas taxes?
Last time I was in the UK was about 1990 and changes were visible from my previous trips. The old Brit spirit is a thing of the past and the entire country seems to be tied to the PC mentality.
Id give the UK less than a decade because Brits are leaving their own country in droves.
Cos theyre already sky high as it is. Besides, increasing the tax on fuel would feed directly into inflation, whereas this indirect tax wont (at least not officially). Anyway, they are not trying to stop people driving, they are just trying to reduce the congestion on certain roads, which to be fair is hideously bad in places.
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