Motorists Could Pay To Travel Into Douglas....

[manxchatterbox]

Today's IOM Examiner front page head-line....that'll be via the transponders and induction loops as mentioned previuously on other threads and as otherwise mentioned by your truly but which some others seemed to poo poo...so it seems as though in future if you do drive in from during peak hours you'll likely end up apyinging for the privilege...its just a matter of quanitifying how much the deterance cost will be...how much are you prepared to pay?

[Tugger]

This is a GOOD IDEA.

[TerryMcCann]

This is a GOOD IDEA.

 

It really isn't.

 

1. People will park just outside of the charging zone, shifting the so called congestion further out

 

2. If they have bus lanes people still won't use the buses

 

3. THERE IS NOT A PROBLEM IN DOUGLAS WITH TRAFFIC CONGESTION. TAKING 10 MINUTES TO GET FROM ONE SIDE OF TOWN TO THE OTHER IS PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE

[stookie]

It really isn't a good idea.

 

1. People will park just outside of the charging zone, shifting the so called congestion further out

 

2. If they have bus lanes people still won't use the buses

 

3. THERE IS NOT A PROBLEM IN DOUGLAS WITH TRAFFIC CONGESTION. TAKING 10 MINUTES TO GET FROM ONE SIDE OF TOWN TO THE OTHER IS PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE

 

This is a stupid idea. We don't have congestion, period.

 

What we have are:

 

1 people who can't let their little darlings walk to school - when the school's are out there is no congestion at all

2 inconsiderate b*stards who park anywhere they feel like, knowing nothing is going to happen to them

3 trams and sh*t shifters that insist on continuing on the promenade when the roads are closed and the only way past Douglas is via Douglas Prom

 

What we need is:

 

1 a little more imagination with road layouts. For example, more one way systems rather than two way now that there are a lot more cars on the road.

2 MoTs to get rid of the junk heaps cluttering up the roads and choking the atmosphere as they go.

3 A 'tidal flow' system on the prom that creates more lanes of traffic depending on time of day.

 

That's taken me two minutes - imagine what a room of clever people could do. Congestion charge - what idiots. How do they propose to levy charges against people who don't have any gadget fitted to their car (how do they propose to do that also?), for example non-Manx registered vehicles? They can't even police the double yellow lines!

 

Heard some muppets talking about car-sharing on the radio the other day. Where do they think we live - New York? Has anyone ever tried to publicise the saving in fuel, energy and money and improvement in road safety by reminding motorists to check their tyres are correctly inflated and how to do that? The simplest way to maintain economical motoring and most people don't have a clue. Quick quiz - 1) How many people reading this can remember the last time they checked their tyre pressures? 2) Do you know what the correct pressures are for your car? 3) Should you check them a) in the morning or at least before you drive anywhere, B) at the garage forecourt?

 

Glad I got that off my chest:)

[Albert Tatlock]

This is a bad idea...there is more to this that some half arsed DoT solution will promise to deliver.

 

1. It is a tax on workers, most of whom have to pay extortionate parking fees as it is, and are forced to go into Douglas everyday to earn a living.

 

2. It is not well thought out and there are many other issues to consider, for example:

 

i. Changing the time school starts would make a heck of a difference to congestion. Doesn't anyone notice how quiet the roads get into work during the school holidays? Make the little tykes walk to school like I did - which will also help stop them turning into fatso's in a few years.

ii. Move some of the 5000 people who work for the government in Douglas - out of Douglas.

iii. Consider putting flexi-time into employment legislation

iv. Penalise every household with a second car (and those with oversize SUVs which practically take up two spots the way they are parked over here) and use the money to build a couple of bigger car parks.

v. Sort out planning and build a big shopping centre and car park where summerland is - if you limit where the shops go you make nothing but congestion problems.

vi. By all means encourage car shares or the use of public transport (put more money into it for a start).

 

A transponder means the government are monitoring your movements and recording your daily activities. Feck off with the big brother technology...just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should!

 

How many more times do we have to revisit this before we actually start to think about it properly?

 

...Rant ends...

[manxchatterbox]

This is a GOOD IDEA.

 

 

but which potential Douglas politicians will have the guts to put the proposal in their manifesto??

[manxchatterbox]

This is a GOOD IDEA.

 

 

but which potential Douglas politicians will have the guts to put the proposal in their manifesto??

[Declan]

This is a good idea because ...

 

1. Fewer cars in town will make Douglas a more pleasant to be.

2. If done properly there will be a dramatic increase in the availability and use of public transport. Which is a much more relaxing and civilised way to live.

 

This is a bad idea because ...

 

1. It won't reduce traffic.

2. It won't be done properly.

 

So the idealist in me thinks it's a nice idea, that would have real benefits for the Island. But the pragmatist sees that people are too attached to their cars for it to make a difference, and that the Government would go about it half-cocked and introduce a compromised scheme.

[hboy]

Today's IOM Examiner front page head-line....that'll be via the transponders and induction loops as mentioned previuously on other threads and as otherwise mentioned by your truly but which some others seemed to poo poo...so it seems as though in future if you do drive in from during peak hours you'll likely end up apyinging for the privilege...its just a matter of quanitifying how much the deterance cost will be...how much are you prepared to pay?

 

Yes I read the paper too.

 

I guarantee it will never happen. Most finance companies will refuse to pay their business rates if they start charging for staff to come to work as well as charging for parking.

 

Its bad enough paying £6 a day to use Shaws Brow - a conjestion charge on top will simply stop staff coming into Douglas, which will stop staff shopping in Douglas (who wants to lug bags home on the bus), and which will force shop keepers into bankrupcy.

 

This is typical of Douglas Corpy's totally moronic grasp of economics, and simplistic view of raising revenue. The problem with congestion in Douglas (if anyone actually drives round with their eyes open) is when the schools are open and when the races are on. There is no congestion problem at any other time.

 

The schools are back Wednesday. See how bad the roads get again. Its not rocket science. I worked it out years ago.

[manxchatterbox]

Today's IOM Examiner front page head-line....that'll be via the transponders and induction loops as mentioned previuously on other threads and as otherwise mentioned by your truly but which some others seemed to poo poo...so it seems as though in future if you do drive in from during peak hours you'll likely end up apyinging for the privilege...its just a matter of quanitifying how much the deterance cost will be...how much are you prepared to pay?

 

Yes I read the paper too.

 

I guarantee it will never happen. Most finance companies will refuse to pay their business rates if they start charging for staff to come to work as well as charging for parking.

 

Its bad enough paying £6 a day to use Shaws Brow - a conjestion charge on top will simply stop staff coming into Douglas, which will stop staff shopping in Douglas (who wants to lug bags home on the bus), and which will force shop keepers into bankrupcy.

 

This is typical of Douglas Corpy's totally moronic grasp of economics, and simplistic view of raising revenue. The problem with congestion in Douglas (if anyone actually drives round with their eyes open) is when the schools are open and when the races are on. There is no congestion problem at any other time.

 

The schools are back Wednesday. See how bad the roads get again. Its not rocket science. I worked it out years ago.

 

bbbut..its the Department of Transport's idea.....I'm sure Dougla sCorp would like the cash but from the article it looks like tax raising going to Govt...

[hboy]

bbbut..its the Department of Transport's idea.....I'm sure Dougla sCorp would like the cash but from the article it looks like tax raising going to Govt...

 

Idealistically it has merit but on the Island its a dead idea.

 

Its hard enough to get people to work in Douglas and this will make it worse. I cannot see one employer in Douglas standing behind this. I also can't see shop keepers supporting it because people will just buy their goods online from the UK and get free delivery rather than pay £3 to drive into town and buy a new telly or any other major purchase.

[Ean]

iv. Penalise every household with a second car (and those with oversize SUVs which practically take up two spots the way they are parked over here) and use the money to build a couple of bigger car parks.

 

Why?

 

There are currently 3 cars in our household, of which only one will be parked in the centre of Douglas (up until a few days ago none of them were ever regularly parked in Douglas, well not the centre but i live in Douglas so i guess all of them were). Why should we then be penalised for having 3 cars when all 3 end up in different parts of the island every day?

[mojomonkey]

I doubt that congestion charging will be brought in. The news story is just a lift from a DoT report, typically lazy journalism.

[Albert Tatlock]

iv. Penalise every household with a second car (and those with oversize SUVs which practically take up two spots the way they are parked over here) and use the money to build a couple of bigger car parks.

 

Why?

 

There are currently 3 cars in our household, of which only one will be parked in the centre of Douglas (up until a few days ago none of them were ever regularly parked in Douglas, well not the centre but i live in Douglas so i guess all of them were). Why should we then be penalised for having 3 cars when all 3 end up in different parts of the island every day?

This is just a half thought out suggestion - which would cover the island and not just Douglas.

 

Surely the simplest way to discourage so many cars is to penalise households (houses) for having additional vehicles. The number of houses on the island is pretty much linked to the length of roads and volume of traffic when you think about it. You can't base car tax on house size, or per person, as some people are married, some aren't and some have kids living at home who drive - and it would get very very complex.

 

Car tax per address would be easier e.g. first car tax £75, second £200, third £400. So each time a one car household taxes the car it costs £75, it costs (£75+£200)/2 for a 2 car household, and (£75+£200+£400)/3 for a 3 car household - per car.

 

If there are 30,000 cars on the island now, there will no doubt be 50,000 by the time the population increases to 85,000, 90,000 or wherever it ends up (with no extra main roads being built). So we have to do something to discourage additional car ownership or eventually there will be total gridlock.

[Ean]

So in your proposal we'd pay £225 road tax per car, but the minute someone moved out it'd be £137. So people who are house-sharing could suddenly go from paying a pretty low car tax if they lived with one person but when they move in with 3 others their car tax rockets? Those are people who realistically can't get rid of their car.