Road Tax, Congestion Zones, Public Ownership of Roads, Maintenance and Toll Roads

Andy @ Allerton · January 29, 2008

Given the seemingly advanced plans of several councils to start basically charging the people of the UK for something that is already owned by the people of the UK (Public highways) - is it fair that Road Tax is obtained by the Government AND that the Government also uses public funds to maintain and repair the roads AND those same roads are then going to be charged for AGAIN by paying Tolls on them?

If it comes to this - should councils be given the roads to own as private enterprises - that they fund entirely from the proceeds they make from their tolls? Money could then be reimbursed for Road Tax and also money could be reimbursed from that money used by the Government to maintain the public road systems that then wasn't used.

If this approach were taken then only private roads could be tolled and any monies used by the Government for road repair could be targeted just at public highways.

It would seem fairer to toll roads that weren't already paid for by the general public - additionally - the councils should also have to buy those roads off the public before they then could start charging for them.

This approach could be taken for Congestion Charging - basically - any repairs, new roads and maintenance that needs to be undertaken on roads within a congestion zone should JUST be paid for by the council using the money that they have made - London, for instance, should have to buy ALL the roads in that area - before they are allowed to continue to charge - they should be private roads, privately maintained and privately funded. Only those roads outside that zone would be maintained using public money.

Why should the general public pay for a road to be built, then pay for it to be maintained, then pay road tax, then pay congestion charges then pay Toll fees? This doesn't appear to be remotely fair to the motorist.

Tosh · January 29, 2008

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