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Tories take lead in opposing road tolls

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Published Date: 20 February 2007
THE Tories will try to turn up the heat on the Executive over pay-as-you-drive road charging in a Holyrood debate on Thursday.
The party will call on MSPs to oppose any national charging scheme and repeal powers enabling councils to introduce road tolls locally.

The Conservatives are likely to seek to highlight confusion caused by the Liberal Democrats, who announced at the weekend that they would consider cutting motoring taxes in Scotland in order to speed up the introduction of charging if it were to be delayed in England.



The full article contains 99 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

 
1

MS,

20/02/2007 07:38:39

Finally, something that could persude me to vote Conservative. Add the abolition of inheritance tax and I'm your man, lads ............................

2

MS,

20/02/2007 07:39:28

'persuade' - fingers moving too quickly...........

3

bill-alba,

fife 20/02/2007 09:30:02

You might as well get ready for road charging..England is definetely going down that road! and where they go the executive (of whatever colour) will follow...

4

Scaramouche,

20/02/2007 09:41:03

Tories = public bandwagon. Anyone else spot this?

5

JayJay,

Glasgow - ish 20/02/2007 10:28:36

Does anyone out there have any idea how many miles of 3-lane motorway there might be in Scotland? The reason I ask is that any attempt to "price" such quality offerings as the A9, A96, M8, M80 etc etc is surely stretching the concept of a "road" that is "good value for money" a touch too far.
Much of the congestion evident in Scotland is created by a wholly inadequate road network. The M8, for example, was never envisaged as a 21st century solution. The main bottleneck through Glasgow, for example, is created simply by appalling road layouts stretching from the M8/M77 merge across the Bridge.
So the question remains. Why is this topic even up for debate in Scotland when the infrastructure is so poor?
Then of course we have the vexed question of the alternatives. Where I live, we have one train stopping per hour at commuter times. This train is expensive, prone to impromtu cancellation, and typically overcrowded. Yum yum, what a tasty alternative to the car. Expensive, unreliable and uncomfortable. Haud me back.
Aside from all of this, can you just imagine how much will be wasted on the computer system to operate this folly. Given the governements track record with technology, I'll start the bidding at £10 billion before the whole thing blows up.
I'll end with the biggest joke. The promise that somehow this will all result in us paying less tax. Yes, absolutely. Governments are well known for reducing the tax burden.

6

SouthernSkye,

Currently Köln 20/02/2007 14:54:03

#4
But are politicians not supposed to represent the public? therefore our bandwaggon should be their bandwaggon ;-)

7

I'm no really here,

20/02/2007 19:21:44

NO THE TORIES DID NOT TAKE THE LEAD. 1.6m people took the lead. What the Tories did was see a bandwagon and jump on. Hypocritical B******s

8

MS,

20/02/2007 19:52:13

To be totally honest, I agree with No 6. Politicians ARE supposed to reflect our desires and aspirations. They ARE meant to be our public servants.

Unfortunately, we have allowed the scum to become our lords and masters. Not only that but their officials see themselves as supreme arbiters and able to enforce their prejudices. Hence the councils fining people for the minor recycling infractions down south.

Politicians are old shoes. Dance barefoot !


 

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