£250 Workplace Parking Space Tax coming?

[Mussels]

Complaining a tax hits the working man more than the rich is pointless here because it's about improving the environment and rich people are in the minority.
I still think the only effective way to reduce car usage is to hike fuel tax, if it costs more people will travel less. It will be painful and there won't be an overnight change but as people are driven onto public transport and bikes the infrastructure will change. Unfortunately I think this needs to be Europe wide as no individual government will have the balls to upset the polluting majority.
Oh and scrap the completely backward vehicle scrappage scheme, why introduce such an enviromentally unfriendly scheme in the first place?

 

[Straylight]

Speaking of Clarkson and his shameless promotion of 'Power....', I had an idea some time ago, mostly based on the roadsafety angle, but which could also arrest the relentless conditioning of young drivers.

How about restricting anyone under say 25 to a maximum engine size of 1litre, with the possible exception of commercial vehicles. This would prevent them from being able to go that fast, and hopefully give them time to put the car into some kind of wider perspective, ie. as less of a toy, and more as a fairly boring/mundane means of getting about. I've just seen too many kids over enthusiasticaly flying about in their parents' speedmachines with a patent lack of control.

The problem, IMHO, inherrent with the taxation approach, sadly is politics, it's just not a vote winner. As no politician is going to institute the sweeping changes necessary because a: It would be deeply unpopular, & b: the opposition could gain an instant hike in the polls by pledging to reverse the decision when they're elected. Hence most decisions on traffic management have been foisted onto local authorities, and we end up with an incredibly patchy outcome.

 

[flecc]

How about restricting anyone under say 25 to a maximum engine size of 1litre, with the possible exception of commercial vehicles. This would prevent them from being able to go that fast, and hopefully give them time to put the car into some kind of wider perspective, ie. as less of a toy, and more as a fairly boring/mundane means of getting about.

The principle seems quite good, but if applied I'd get age out of it, since there are responsible youngsters and irresponsible adults. The first three years or so of driving with power/engine size restricted would be less discriminatory.

Unfortunately though, even one litre cars often have more than enough performance to get into serious trouble, and without the benefit of the better handling and brakes of most larger cars. Many of the more disastrous road accidents causing deaths among the young occur when four or five of them are in a small hatchback, often low powered ones and often at nowhere near the maximum speeds when the young drivers exceed their ability.
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[Straylight]

Oh and scrap the completely backward vehicle scrappage scheme, why introduce such an enviromentally unfriendly scheme in the first place?

Though this was primarily introduced in an attempt to stop the decline of the motor industry.

My view is that if we're to live in a capitalist society, then to prop up a manufacturing base that has no demand for its product, is totaly counter intuitive. These companies should either make something that people actualy want to buy, or go under. It is suposedly a free market after all .

 

[Straylight]

Unfortunately though, even one litre cars often have more than enough performance to get into serious trouble, and without the benefit of the better handling and brakes of most larger cars. Many of the more disastrous road accidents causing deaths among the young occur when four or five of them are in a small hatchback, often low powered ones and often at nowhere near the maximum speeds when the young drivers exceed their ability.
.

Ok then we should make them all drive about in g-wiz(s) .

Or, even better, one of these:Welcome to TWIKE! Then if they ran out of juice, they can pedal home to mum.

 

[bode]

Or, even better, one of these:Welcome to TWIKE! Then if they ran out of juice, they can pedal home to mum.

Have you seen the price of those things, though? Around 15 grand for an electric Reliant Robin! I saw one at Presteigne, and could not imagine who would buy one. But if they were made compulsory for new drivers, maybe economies of scale would kick in...

 

[Straylight]

But if they were made compulsory for new drivers, maybe economies of scale would kick in...

Absolutely, and it could also be coupled with a government backed leasing scheme. Perhaps the design could be mass produced under licence in one of our idle car plants..