Friday, April 25, 2008

We don't believe you.

Well we got a bit of a nasty surprise at work yesterday whilst reading the local newspaper. Nottingham city council want to introduce congestion charges for anyone who drives a car into Nottingham during peak rush hours. The whole of Nottingham will be covered by an urban congestion charge which will cost you £2 if you enter into it, and the inner part of Nottingham will be covered by an inner congestion charge which will cost you a further £1.60 if you enter into it. And of course our workplace is in the inner congestion zone. Which means I would have to pay £3.60 every day just to get to work.

But that’s not all.

I would also have to pay again when leaving to go home so I would have to pay £7.20 just to get to and from work each day. Which will work out that I will have to pay something in the region of £2000 a year just to get too and from work if they introduce this scheme. I always thought you get paid for going to work, not have to pay to go to work!

They say that all the money raised will be put back into public transport (yeah right). However what they failed to mention is that one of the major parts of the public transport system in Nottingham, The park and Ride will end up in the inner congestion zone. So you would have to pay £7.20 just to get to the park and ride, then pay for the bus!

The other thing they have failed to mention is if their still going ahead with a plan to charge every company in Nottingham a charge per car parking space in their employees car parks, which would work out at nearly £400 a year per car parking space, which the companies could pass onto their employees rather then paying the charge themselves.

Of course both of these schemes are a little way away yet, so not need to panic immediately. We hope : - (

The government insists it is not anti-motorist, but with congestion charges, car parking charges, Mot’s, Car tax disc’s, petrol which is now on average £1.12 in most places and speed cameras it gets just a little hard to believe them.

4 comments:

Rhonda said...

Seems to be the rage all over now. NYC wants to do the same into and out of Manhattan. However, it was voted down and so for now...no fees into NYC!

That place is expensive enough thank you!

Saxon said...

with any luck this will be voted down as well.

Unknown said...

anti motorists for sure.

If by chance this happens (you guys don't seem to have as much of a democracy as we do over here - I know I am naive, but how can you when you have all those taxes) you will need to find a new job close to home for sure.

But, hey, what would we do without all of your rants about the traffic?

Saxon said...

I do have a feeling that if they do introduce this charge a lot of people will be looking for jobs where they can work from home.

I'll tell Grumpy that quote of yours about taxes. I'm sure he'll find it amusing.