M6 toll

gilbert_and_sullivan

Norman_Castle wrote: »

VED is not road tax by another name. See below for a quote from your government.

The unelected Prime Minister of the current unelected government gave me a cast iron guarantee of a referendum on EU membership in 2009, i'm still waiting for that.

So i'm not in the least interested in what label they, your government, wish to put on the money they demand from me in order to buy votes and foreign dictators, whilst trousering false expense claims and taking us into illegal wars.

JasonLVC

londonTiger wrote: »

If the roads are all clear why does it matter what lane they're in?

Doing a trip from london to manchester, you'll inevitably just do stuff on autopilot. IF you been doing 80-90 on the overtaking lane for hours on end and then suddenly there is a lull in traffic it's going to slip your mind.

You only use the right lane for overtaking. On an empty road, what are they overtaking? It is also an offence now to hog the mid lane.

I agree about autopiloit, have got to work many times without actually remembering the journey but if you are on autopilot then you cannot be fully aware and at 80+mph on an empty road can lead to complacency and accidents.

skivenov

A14, M1, A50, pick up the M6 at Stoke

4 miles more than the m6, but generally easier going unless Stoke are at home.

Johno100

londonTiger wrote: »

I wonder if m6 tolls end game is a buyout from the government. Sounds like they could increase their profits by reducing prices and getting more people to use it.

I wonder if their strategy is to just make enough money to pay for the maintenance of the roads and price out everyone else and make the regular m6 absolutely dog!!!!!. So the government is forced to just buy the m6 toll.

regular m6 lane expansion will mean in the short term the inside line is closed off, speed reduced to 50 and a 5 year wait before it's expanded.

Talking of which - why dont they jsut add two more lanes instead of one so they cover their backs for another 100 years.

Increase their profits:rotfl:

Midland Expressway Limited (MEL) who run the M6 Toll made a loss of £36.7m for the year ended 31 December 2012 and that is a slight improvement on the previous period when it lost £41.6m. The improvement being down to the ongoing roadworks on the M6 for the managed motorway scheme and an increase in tolls

MEL presently owes it's parent company Macquarie Motorways Group Ltd, they are the ones who built the road, £611m and that is rising as income is insufficient to meet interest charges.

What the losses would have been if, as should have been the case, MEL had had to contribute directly to costs of policing the road and been required to waive tolls in the event of a major incident and closure of the M6, is anybody's guess.

Unfortunately there is no political will from any of the major political parties to come to a deal with Macquarie to take MEL into public ownership and use the road capacity to its maximum.

System

skivenov wrote: »

A14, M1, A50, pick up the M6 at Stoke

4 miles more than the m6, but generally easier going unless Stoke are at home.

Or you get to the D road between 7 & 10 or 4 & 6 on a weekday

Paradigm

!!!!!! wrote: »

Or you get to the D road between 7 & 10 or 4 & 6 on a weekday

There are roadworks on the A50/A500 roundabout (by the Brit stadium) & they have altered the traffic light timings.

Traffic is now backing up on the A50 even at previously non busy times.

dacouch

When coming back from the North West or Scotland I tend to drive down the M5 to the west of Brum and then head east along the M42 and then pick up the M40 back to London.

It's about 15 miles further than the M6 but the traffic tends to be better (Listen out for traffic problems on Radio) I find it a lot quicker back to Central London as it avoids the M1 and the A40 is normally quicker back into London.

pulliptears

Paradigm wrote: »

There are roadworks on the A50/A500 roundabout (by the Brit stadium) & they have altered the traffic light timings.

Traffic is now backing up on the A50 even at previously non busy times.

backed up to Normacot at 11.30am Friday. Added to this London Rd Stoke is being dug up as well so that had a knock on all through Stoke

droopsnoot

robatwork wrote: »

When approaching the toll exit the gantries often say "M6 toll clear". I take this to mean "Toll clear and the normal M6 is OK too".

I believe that means what it says - the toll road (referred to as M6 toll) is clear, but it makes no reference to the normal M6. In fact, aren't these signboards now headed with "M6 Toll Information" to clarify that all they talk about is the toll road? The ones I am thinking of are, maybe they're different signs.

I don't recall ever seeing them display anything other than "M6 toll clear", but I am by no means a frequent user of the M6.

marvin

droopsnoot wrote: »

I believe that means what it says - the toll road (referred to as M6 toll) is clear, but it makes no reference to the normal M6. In fact, aren't these signboards now headed with "M6 Toll Information" to clarify that all they talk about is the toll road? The ones I am thinking of are, maybe they're different signs.

I don't recall ever seeing them display anything other than "M6 toll clear", but I am by no means a frequent user of the M6.

These boards are owned and operated by the Toll Rd they do only give information on the Toll Rd.

From wikip "Misleading signage
Considerable disquiet was expressed soon after the opening of the M6 Toll at signage which directed drivers making local journeys onto the toll road replaced older signs. As well as incurring toll charges, the new routes were longer than the original routes leading to accusations that this was just a ploy to increase traffic on the M6 Toll. Similar accusations have been made about traffic signs on the M6 that announce "M6 TOLL CLEAR", even when the M6 is also clear, that are under the control of Midland Expressway Ltd. These issues are mentioned on the M6 Toll FAQ pages, with explanations which emphasise that all drivers using the road are still liable to pay the toll"

One of the other things on there I find fascinating

"When creating the surface of the road some 2.5 million Mills & Boon novels were pulped and mixed into the tarmac to help the surface absorbency."