We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.
This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.
Debate House Prices
In order to help keep the Forum a useful, safe and friendly place for our users, discussions around non MoneySaving matters are no longer permitted. This includes wider debates about general house prices, the economy and politics. As a result, we have taken the decision to keep this board permanently closed, but it remains viewable for users who may find some useful information in it. Thank you for your understanding.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
Tolls 'could pay for new roads'...
Comments
-
AIUI, taxes on cars/fuel/speeding fines don't collect nearly enough to pay for the road network.
From memory, taxes on motorists collect north of 40 billion per year. We spend less than 12 billion on roads.
Edit-
OK it's even worse than I thought.
According to the driver's alliance, in the UK, motoring related taxes come to about £50 Billion a year but only 12% of this is spent on our roads.“The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie – deliberate, contrived, and dishonest – but the myth, persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic.
Belief in myths allows the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.”
-- President John F. Kennedy”0 -
HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »From memory, taxes on motorists collect north of 40 billion per year. We spend less than 12 billion on roads.
Edit-
OK it's even worse than I thought.
According to the driver's alliance, in the UK, motoring related taxes come to about £50 Billion a year but only 12% of this is spent on our roads.
So we only spend 12% of income from road related tax actually on roads?
If we don't spend what we bring in on roads currently, then nothing the Government does will address this problem unless this figure increases??? Surely this is the problem then, or am I missing something?0 -
So we only spend 12% of income from road related tax actually on roads?
Surely this is the problem then, or am I missing something?
Yes, that's correct.
You could fix the entire problem at a stroke by simply mandating all transport related taxes are spent on transport infrastructure.
Instead of treating motorists like cash cows and using them to fund general expenditure.“The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie – deliberate, contrived, and dishonest – but the myth, persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic.
Belief in myths allows the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.”
-- President John F. Kennedy”0 -
That isn't going to fly. Governments tax as much as they dare from wherever they dare, and then spend it where the civil service tells them to.No-one would remember the Good Samaritan if he'd only had good intentions. He had money as well.
The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money.
Margaret Thatcher0 -
Really, is there anyone reading this who doesn't know, in his heart of hearts, that the end result will inevitably be more revenue for the government and less money spent on transport?
As always happens, the money will be spent on other 'urgent priorities'0 -
Really, is there anyone reading this who doesn't know, in his heart of hearts, that the end result will inevitably be more revenue for the government and less money spent on transport?
As always happens, the money will be spent on other 'urgent priorities'
That's what I meant -- the money raised would not all be spent on transport. The civil service -- they're the ones who really run the country by the way -- will prioritise welfare, the EU, foreign aid, welfare, public sector pay/perks/pensions, expensive quangos, and welfare over transport.No-one would remember the Good Samaritan if he'd only had good intentions. He had money as well.
The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money.
Margaret Thatcher0 -
Myself I believe that if all of the money collected through the Vehicle Excise Duty, which must be an enormous amount, were spent on the roads we would be far better off.
That is what it was designed to do in the first place, or is that not enough revenue to cover the cost?
It is spent to support other issues you say. phew
Misappropriation of assets sounds familiar, is that not what many MPs are up to these days?0 -
This solution seems so blindingly obvious and makes sense I can't see why its not been considered. If anyone can see a downside please post back as i'm interested. It seems the Government can't rethink ideas but can only tag on to existing ones!
A 'no brainer' but we would need some hypothecation or the tax would just be swept up into general taxes and then someone in the future would probably suggest having a road tax
'Just think for a moment what a prospect that is. A single market without barriers visible or invisible giving you direct and unhindered access to the purchasing power of over 300 million of the worlds wealthiest and most prosperous people' Margaret Thatcher0 -
A 'no brainer' but we would need some hypothecation or the tax would just be swept up into general taxes and then someone in the future would probably suggest having a road tax
Exactly what you have said is so true we are losing the plot completely.
Take from one to give to another, shift resources.
Robbing Peter to Pay Paul and causing confusion as to what represents what.0 -
Myself I believe that if all of the money collected through the Vehicle Excise Duty, which must be an enormous amount, were spent on the roads we would be far better off.
That is what it was designed to do in the first place, or is that not enough revenue to cover the cost?
It is spent to support other issues you say. phew
Misappropriation of assets sounds familiar, is that not what many MPs are up to these days?
Not sure the VED would be enough.
I read somewhere that tax raised from fuel is around £30bn annually, can't remember if that was duty alone or including VAT."If you act like an illiterate man, your learning will never stop... Being uneducated, you have no fear of the future.".....
"big business is parasitic, like a mosquito, whereas I prefer the lighter touch, like that of a butterfly. "A butterfly can suck honey from the flower without damaging it," "Arunachalam Muruganantham0
This discussion has been closed.
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply
Categories
- All Categories
- 352K Banking & Borrowing
- 253.5K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 454.2K Spending & Discounts
- 245K Work, Benefits & Business
- 600.6K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 177.4K Life & Family
- 258.8K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16.2K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.6K Read-Only Boards