Comments on: UK Budget Penalizes Family Haulers, Big Style

By: Redbarchetta

Redbarchetta — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 21:08:22 +0000

Christ between the high gas tax, VAT, tolls and speed cameras, and taxes I don’t even know about because I don’t live there, how can they afford to drive in the country and still feed their families. I’m talking about the working class people not the rich politicians.

By: alex_rashev

alex_rashev — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:53:10 +0000

Gas taxes work great, as unpopular as they are. Look at the average vehicle mass per passenger-mile on both sides of the atlantic, the difference is kinda evident ;) If anything, gas taxes should be raised to reduce VAT, in order to cut that ridiculous car price differential between Europe and USA.

By: quasimondo

quasimondo — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:37:08 +0000

As if a 100% gas tax isn’t already absurd enough.

By: sitting@home

sitting@home — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:30:00 +0000

The Chancellor has piled on the cost of a gas-guzzler in the showroom, arguing that raising vehicle excise duty to £950 in the first year will influence consumers’ purchasing decisions.

A Range Rover sitting in the drive is going to pollute a lot less than a Ford Focus being used for pizza delivery.

Unexpectedly the Chancellor also revived plans for national road pricing which could see motorists charged up to £1 a mile to drive on popular routes during the rush hour.

That’s the “Rush Hour” when all cars are at a standstill and will probably only crawl a mile in an hour. Hence for the aforementioned Range Rover driver it’s value for money (he’s burned through $10 in gas while shorting stocks on his Blackberry with the A/C on) but it doesn’t help the pizza guy.

Paying only £455 each year thereafter is hardly going to stop those who can stretch to a Porsche.

And there’s not enough of them to kick up a fuss.

Let’s face it, it’s all just revenue generation targeted at those least likely to already vote for the current government. The only way to ensure less consumption or travel is to raise fuel taxes, but they are already well over 100% in the UK and any further rise will result in another mass protest backlash.

By: Sammy Hagar

Sammy Hagar — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:22:17 +0000

…meanwhile, on the wildly popular “Top Gear” they’re racing a Veyron against a Euro Fighter.

Getting mixed messages about what the motoring public wants and what the politicians are giving them. Not exactly a British-centric affliction.

By: GS650G

GS650G — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:32:55 +0000

They could always vote the people out. Oh wait, that never happens so let’s stick it to them some more. At least they could spit on the stick once.

By: quasimondo

quasimondo — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:41:03 +0000

Isn’t this what some folks in the U.S. were trying to push on us as well?

By: incitatus

incitatus — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:40:58 +0000

Hit them where it hurts the most… government at its finest. I predict an emigration exodus from UK in the near future.