Beware - changes in parking regulations in University Area

almillar

I hope you're enjoying walking in that weather tara47 and any other anti-car peeps. Drivers pay plenty of road tax, and our less than intelligent politicians keep talking about bringing jobs out of Belfast, but keep not doing it! So lots of people are stuck with driving into Belfast, with nowhere to park when they get there.
Having somehwere to park, and somewhere nice looking, are not two exclusive things...

tara747

I'm certainly not anti-car.

As for walking in this weather, no problem. I have decent waterproof clothing and footwear. In fact, my colleagues who drive to work have to park about half a mile away - they're far wetter than me when they arrive in the office, usually with a broken umbrella.

As for road tax, you do know that it doesn't exist, right?

• http://ipayroadtax.com/

Road tax doesn't exist. It's car tax, a tax on cars and other vehicles, not a tax on roads or a fee to use them. Motorists do not pay directly for the roads. Roads are paid for via general and local taxation. In 1926, Winston Churchill started the process to abolish road tax. It was finally culled in 1937. Car tax is based on amount of CO2 emitted so, if a fee had to be paid, cyclists - who are sometimes branded as 'tax-dodgers' - would pay the same as 'tax-dodgers' such as disabled drivers, police cars, the Royal family, and band A motorists, ie £0.

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_tax#United_Kingdom

In the United Kingdom it is a requirement to pay Vehicle Excise Duty, which is paid to the government for a vehicle licence (or tax disc), which must be displayed on most motor vehicles used on public roads.[8] Since 1937 there has been no direct relationship between the tax and government expenditure on public roads.[9]

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23694438

...road tax was abolished in 1937 and replaced by Vehicle Excise Duty.
This is a tax on cars, not roads, and it goes straight into the general Treasury fund. Many government agencies have now started calling VED "car tax" but it might be classified as a pollution tax, since it's now based on the size of engine and emissions. Ultra-low emissions vehicles are exempted.

But "road tax" is a powerful political idea, implying that the tax should pay for roads not hospitals, and that drivers have more right to road space than pedestrians, horse-riders and cyclists.

Witless

tara747 wrote: »

Sadly, there isn't enough space for everyone who wants to park, especially in residential areas with narrow streets. Personally, I'm in favour of living streets. I wouldn't like to see Belfast turned into a mini LA, with houses and trees razed to the ground to make way for more cars.

Then there's also the fact that if you choose to live far away from your place of work/study, your transport costs are going to be higher. I live in Belfast because I work here, and I don't want a long, expensive commute. I can walk to work in 25 minutes. It's very relaxing and costs nothing.

Would I like to live in the country? Sometimes I think I would. Nice scenery and all that. Would I spend two hours a day in a car (and thousands of pounds per year) on commuting? No way.

It's all about priorities.

I didn't choose to live here and commute: unfortunately somebody decided to have a recession.

A few years my my son worked in a call centre (now closed and relocated to Belfast), the only public transport available after 18:00 was via Belfast - a detour of 70+ miles and a journey time of approx 3 hours for an actual journey of 14 miles.

The majority (IMHO) of the problems come from those making short journeys: and don't forget I, as a tax payer subdise your public transport infrastructure ... while my own is as near non existant after 18:00 as it's possible to get.

If I could afford to live in a similar house within walking distance of work I would.

But then, I keep forgetting anything west of Lisburn doesn't count.

'twas ever thus.

Witless

tara747 wrote: »

pedestrians, horse-riders and cyclists.

I'm not sure how many horses there are in Belfast (that was where we were discussing, wasn't it?) but there are plenty of pedestrians and cyclists.

Unfortunately many of them choose to ignore the 'rules of the road' and, AFAIK, most don't have insurance.

Witless

irishjohn wrote: »

What about Blacks Road Park and Ride at Dunmurry?

Unless I mave missed something blatantly obvious, you can join the MI at Blacks Road, but, if you're travelling from the west, you can't leave the M1 there.

Maybe this link will work, maybe not. (It does, but you need to zoom in on the map).

https://www.translink.co.uk/Services/Other-Translink-Services/Park--Ride/Park--Ride-Locations/Blacks-Road-Park-Ride/

Fairly immaterial anyway, as DA points out - it closes at 19:00.

I'd hate to be boring and mention living in the west, counting, etc again.:(

belfastgirl23

almillar wrote: »

I hope you're enjoying walking in that weather tara47 and any other anti-car peeps. Drivers pay plenty of road tax, and our less than intelligent politicians keep talking about bringing jobs out of Belfast, but keep not doing it! So lots of people are stuck with driving into Belfast, with nowhere to park when they get there.
Having somehwere to park, and somewhere nice looking, are not two exclusive things...

I walked in it too probably less of a distance than if I was driving into Belfast but enough to get plenty wet. That said I wouldn't swap for a minute.

Beyond that, every word Tara said, ditto!

irishjohn

Witless wrote: »

Unless I mave missed something blatantly obvious, you can join the MI at Blacks Road, but, if you're travelling from the west, you can't leave the M1 there.

Maybe this link will work, maybe not. (It does, but you need to zoom in on the map).

https://www.translink.co.uk/Services/Other-Translink-Services/Park--Ride/Park--Ride-Locations/Blacks-Road-Park-Ride/

Fairly immaterial anyway, as DA points out - it closes at 19:00.

I'd hate to be boring and mention living in the west, counting, etc again.:(

Absolutely right - so Blacks Road seems to have been created for the locals to use - my apologies! And of course its rarely full!!

almillar

You're right tara - motor vehicles absolutely do not own the road, despite what some of them think, but my point remains, that motorists put a stash of money in tax into the government, and through whatever means, roads are built. If you don't pay your car tax/road tax/vehicle excise duty/that wee disc on your windscreen, you're not allowed to park on a public road. If you do pay it, you are. Anywhere!
Should people not be allowed to park for free (it's not free, we've already paid several ways!) in and around the city centre? Should employers provide parking?
belfastgirl - I've spent plenty of time getting wet on my way to and from my car too. Can't avoid it at the moment!

tara747

Witless wrote: »

I didn't choose to live here and commute: unfortunately somebody decided to have a recession.

A few years my my son worked in a call centre (now closed and relocated to Belfast), the only public transport available after 18:00 was via Belfast - a detour of 70+ miles and a journey time of approx 3 hours for an actual journey of 14 miles.

The majority (IMHO) of the problems come from those making short journeys: and don't forget I, as a tax payer subdise your public transport infrastructure ... while my own is as near non existant after 18:00 as it's possible to get.

If I could afford to live in a similar house within walking distance of work I would.

But then, I keep forgetting anything west of Lisburn doesn't count.

'twas ever thus.

I agree with you that public transport outside Belfast is woeful. And everything is too Belfast-centric. And (as you've pointed out) the park and ride closing times are not convenient.

These are the issues which our MLAs should be dealing with. Park and rides should stay open later. There should be better quality transport options for commuters into and out of Belfast. There should be radial bus routes around the city. There should be better cycle routes (to take people out of cars). Lobby your MLAs.

I know people who've moved out of Belfast for 'better quality of life' and seem surprised that they spend two hours (minimum) a day commuting and a fortune on petrol! They never stop moaning about it either, most wish that they'd stayed put.

p.s. nobody is subsiding me - I walk and cycle everywhere.

Witless wrote: »

I'm not sure how many horses there are in Belfast (that was where we were discussing, wasn't it?) but there are plenty of pedestrians and cyclists.

Unfortunately many of them choose to ignore the 'rules of the road' and, AFAIK, most don't have insurance.

Ah, that old chestnut. Of course, drivers never break the law. :rotfl:

tara747

almillar wrote: »

You're right tara - motor vehicles absolutely do not own the road, despite what some of them think, but my point remains, that motorists put a stash of money in tax into the government, and through whatever means, roads are built. If you don't pay your car tax/road tax/vehicle excise duty/that wee disc on your windscreen, you're not allowed to park on a public road. If you do pay it, you are. Anywhere!
Should people not be allowed to park for free (it's not free, we've already paid several ways!) in and around the city centre? Should employers provide parking?
belfastgirl - I've spent plenty of time getting wet on my way to and from my car too. Can't avoid it at the moment!

Yes, motorists pay motoring-related taxes. Smokers and drinkers also pay a lot of tax. VAT is pretty high too, so anyone with a serious handbag habit is contributing a lot in taxes too - and shopping doesn't cause 56 deaths per year in Northern Ireland!

As I said, road tax was abolished 77 years ago. Roads are funded via general taxation - income tax, VAT and the like. As an above-average earner, am I more entitled to use the roads than someone who pays little or no income tax??

Motorists pay Vehicle Excise Duty - which, in total, is way less than the cost of the roads. If motor taxation were ringfenced for the roads, they'd be in a pretty bad state! Far from motorists subsidising anyone else, they're being subsidised by non-drivers.

Anyway... VED is based on the emissions that your car produces. Some cars' emissions are so low that they pay no VED (same as a bicycle). Should they not be allowed on the roads??

FWIW, I'd be in favour of scrapping VED and adding it onto fuel duty instead. That way, those who drive (and pollute) the most would pay the most. What is your view?