[interestrateripoff]

http://www.telegraph...ng-charges.html

Quote

Thousands of drivers face being charged a pound a day to park at their offices and factories as a second major city draws up plans for a workplace parking levy.

Bristol is set to join Nottingham in imposing a pay as you park tax, with councillors ready to consider proposals in the spring.

Details of the plans emerged as hostility to the Nottingham scheme increased, with the GMB and Unite unions voting to hold a strike ballot over plans by one major employer, Imperial Tobacco, to pass the cost of the levy onto staff.

Bristol City Council wants to use the levy to raise millions of pounds to fund bus only lanes, separated from other traffic, to cut congestion.

Looks like councils are coming up with new ideas to fund themselves. Another tax to help the productivity of the country. Still it all adds up in GDP...

[Voice of Reason]

Tax the productive to pay for the unproductive. What could possibly go wrong?

[tinker]

Quote

Bristol City Council wants to use the levy to raise millions of pounds to fund bus only lanes, separated from other traffic, to cut create congestion.

I've seen this locally with schemes that effectively impair flow and reduce capacity for the odd bus, whilst public transport prices increased. Much of this done to create an certain impression in order to impose a congestion charge in Manchester (unfortunately they allowed a vote).

I don't know how many junction improvements demonstrate planning departments inability to think things through - the 'what will happen if we change this' question; how can we mitigate this.

Motorists are an inelastic market, thus this abuse goes on.

[winkie]

Soon be reaching the point when some won't be able to afford to get to work......especially in places where public transport is poor....what does it cost to buy, insure, tax, and maintain a car that is before you have put fuel in the tank and paid workplace parking costs......over £1000 insurance pa for a young driver not unusual....Oh dear.....yet again things don't add up trying to make a living in this country.

[Imminent_plunge]

winkie, on 24 February 2012 - 02:31 PM, said:

Soon be reaching the point when some won't be able to afford to get to work......especially in places where public transport is poor....what does it cost to buy, insure, tax, and maintain a car that is before you have put fuel in the tank and paid workplace parking costs......over £1000 insurance pa for a young driver not unusual....Oh dear.....yet again things don't add up trying to make a living in this country.

I've stopped driving. I cycle, walk, take the bus or the train in that order. All the expenses of a car and add on the stealth taxes of parking and speeding. My calculation is that having a car must benefit you by 5k plus, otherwise don't.

[southmartin]

Stuff like this http://www.parkshare.net/ might get very popular


Looks like a good way of keeping cash in the pockets of the people – and away from the authorities. Or better still, simply bartering for parking services!

[Sour Mash]

Hmmm, wonder how much more 'nickel and dime-ing' the proles are going to take before something snaps ... ?

[justthisbloke]

Imminent_plunge, on 24 February 2012 - 02:46 PM, said:

I've stopped driving. I cycle, walk, take the bus or the train in that order. All the expenses of a car and add on the stealth taxes of parking and speeding. My calculation is that having a car must benefit you by 5k plus, otherwise don't.

I was car-free for a long time. Loved it. A weight off my mind and a burden off my pocket. Sadly, I've gone and bought another one since so I'm back sitting in (and, I guess, causing) traffic jams rather than dozing on trains and buses. The other problem about car ownership is that once you've paid the capital cost, it's tempting to use it all the time - even for short trips. Hence I've barely ridden my bike since I bought the car - I put on three stone in as many months!

I don't think parking tax is a bad thing. Currently it's about the only BIK that's not taxed but is bloody valuable. While I object to most taxes, I prefer these ones that are largely voluntary.

[winkie]

southmartin, on 24 February 2012 - 02:57 PM, said:

Stuff like this http://www.parkshare.net/ might get very popular


Looks like a good way of keeping cash in the pockets of the people – and away from the authorities. Or better still, simply bartering for parking services!

Good idea.....when I was working in an area with restricted parking, often close to rail stations, funny that...used to park in front of someone I knew drive...they had left for work before I arrived, I had left for home before they arrived home...win.win.

[leicestersq]

winkie, on 24 February 2012 - 03:44 PM, said:

Good idea.....when I was working in an area with restricted parking, often close to rail stations, funny that...used to park in front of someone I knew drive...they had left for work before I arrived, I had left for home before they arrived home...win.win.

What happened on the occasions when they came home early, or left late? Thats bound to happen sooner or later.

Of if they move and dont tell you?

[tomandlu]

interestrateripoff, on 24 February 2012 - 08:40 AM, said:

Looks like councils are coming up with new ideas to fund themselves. Another tax to help the productivity of the country. Still it all adds up in GDP...

It's getting pretty silly and anger-inducing (and this is a fairly minor example). I would really like to question these people to find out whether they are really unaware of the impact that this slow drip-drip of additional costs must inevitably have.

[winkie]

leicestersq, on 24 February 2012 - 03:50 PM, said:

What happened on the occasions when they came home early, or left late? Thats bound to happen sooner or later.

Of if they move and dont tell you?

....they text, I move....and see to it they get a pot of homemade jam from time to time.

[corevalue]

My wife used to work the night shift at a large hospital, and she always had to pay for her parking, at night. There was no public transport alternative to take her the 6 miles or so to work. There was little outrage from the unions over it.

[gadget]

tomandlu, on 24 February 2012 - 03:56 PM, said:

It's getting pretty silly and anger-inducing (and this is a fairly minor example). I would really like to question these people to find out whether they are really unaware of the impact that this slow drip-drip of additional costs must inevitably have.

Oh do stop moaning. Do you realise how much the prime city-center real-estate taken up by your car is worth?

They're taxing parking, which is avoidable, not air.....

"Free" parking is actually an enormous government subsisdy. The homes or businesses that could be there instead of enormous car parks would be taxed, so why not the car parks?

[M'lud]

gadget, on 24 February 2012 - 04:14 PM, said:

Oh do stop moaning. Do you realise how much the prime city-center real-estate taken up by your car is worth?

They're taxing parking, which is avoidable, not air.....

"Free" parking is actually an enormous government subsisdy. The homes or businesses that could be there instead of enormous car parks would be taxed, so why not the car parks?

Yeah, cos more taxes are better than less taxes