With a general election on the 12th December; what are the politicians
promising for drivers and families in the future? Their past record does not
read well! A selection of their previous “presents” to drivers is
listed below.
What is your political party going to do to make things better for YOU as a
driver?
Is it plentiful and cheap parking; via a £1.76 billion turnover, high
profit-driven parking enforcement industry?
Is it the price of fuel, with its 57.95p per litre fuel duty raking in
£28 billion per annum. Plus 20% VAT on both the fuel itself and the duty? A tax
on the tax!
Is it Insurance Premium tax, which now stands at 12% (6% in 2011); so an
average £500 car insurance costs an extra £60 in tax?
Is it increases in Vehicle Excise Duty (Road Tax), which already brings
in about £6 billion per annum?
Is it since 1975 averaging c.£4Bn per annum spent on loss-making
railways (c.5% of UK surface miles travelled) versus less than £1.5Bn annually
in strategic road spending (c.90%; at positive economic benefit)?
Is it our consequent “smooth, pothole-free” roads?
Is it that the aim of “getting people out of their cars”
is in every government/ council transport-related document?
Is it the abiding failure to deliver on numerous promises to raise the
archaic motorway speed limit?
Is it the continuous reduction of all other speed limits, so creating
longer journey times, congestion, frustration and actually increasing
accidents?
Is it the vast increases in speeding fines, because of these continually
downgraded speed limits?
Is it the proliferation of ‘Smart’ (sic) motorways, with no hard
shoulder and vastly increased accident risk?
Is it the proliferation of 24/7 x 365 20mph speed limits, proven to
deliver no tangible road safety benefits?
Is it the imposition of speed limiters in all new vehicles from 2022?
Is it the time it takes to clear up accidents, unnecessarily shutting
roads for hours?
Is it road works; where, for the overwhelming majority of the time,
nobody ever seems to be working?
Is it the failure to expose the spurious 40,000 annual air pollution
deaths lie?
Is it diesel – and eventually petrol – vehicle bans?
Is it the proliferation of ineffective in practice – but highly
tax-profitable – so-called “Clean Air Zones”?
Is it the imposition of Workplace Parking Levies?
Now is the time to ask prospective candidates: “What are you
going to do for Britain’s drivers?”
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