Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Nugget
But it's still not a tax or, as I said earlier, they are voluntary at their worst level.
I can't speak for the Dartford Bridge because I don't use it very often, but the Humber Bridge is a toll bridge because they have to pay off the debt acquired through building it. Now, it was built for the convenience of, for example, people who lived in Grimsby but worked in Hull who, instead of having a 75 mile journey, now have a 30 mile journey.
People are paying for the convenience of saving themselves an extra 45 miles. However, if they don't want to pay the toll, they have the choice of going the long way round. As such, I still don't see why anyone would think any of these are taxes.
As I said earlier, the congestion charge is purely voluntary - if you don't want to pay it, don't drive through the congestion zone. Sometimes, and there are examples given onhere, this isn't practical but this is the exception rather than the rule.
|
So the customs and excise duty on a bottle of whisky or a pack of fags is not a tax it's a service?Because using your analogy we don't have to buy or use those products thereby avoiding paying the duty.
I have no view about this tax/charge/service/toll one way or the other.I'd never happily drive through London by choice(anyone who does is a nutter)and I'm quite happy to drive into my daughter's road in Archway by going the long way round(but only if forced to because my darling wants me to do house removals).
I think London is a driver's worst nightmare.Gives me the sweats just thinking about doing so.
