19 replies to this topic

[MiniElliott]

Quick fact: The nurburgring is technically a toll road not a track :)

[giner88]

sorry for having an opnion? LOL jesus guys calm yourselves down. i'm not trying to put things out of context, i am stating my opinion and as its a free forum i am entitled to it as you are entitled with yours.

As you compared it to europe you will also know most of europe has faster limits than the UK. Also the level of driving in many european countries is alot lower than the UK.

to me it does not seem crazy to have well maintained toll road with a slighlty faster speed limit. As stated already there has been talks of it already so would it not make sense to raise it on the brand new roads as they are going to be built with more safety in mind, i would guess.

so stop getting so irate because i have a different veiw to you. even if it is stupid or silly in your eyes.

[Dan]

Well sorry for offending you, I really didn't mean to and I assure you I'm not irate at all. I don't believe I derided your opinion, I said I didn't understand it. Yes lots of Europe has an 81 mph limit, but not as much as people seem to think. And lots of europe has introduced other laws to accomodate that, such as no overtaking at all for trucks in many areas or reduced limits in rain. Now that more and more sections of our motorways are getting variable limits there is the possibility to introduce something like that I suppose. The thing is plans to raise speed limits on motorways come and go fairly regularly, but the thing is that most motorways designed since the limit was introduced are designed for a 70 mph limit. The radius of curves, the camber of the surface, viewing distance for signs and all sort of other things are included in a standard for motorway design. You will notice the M1, designed to have no speed limit, is more or less straight for very large sections.

Quick fact: The nurburgring is technically a toll road not a track :)

I wondered how long it would be before that came up. This is another motoring myth. The Nurburgring is a race track, it was designed and built as a race track. The law there is roughly the same as here in so much as it's not a road because it doesn't take you anywhere. You can only get back to where you started, access is not open to all and you can't get on without getting permission to do so. This idea that it is a toll road only exists in the UK I believe, and it was dreamed up by someone to try to get insurance. It's a nice idea, but it doesn't hold water.

[minimissionary]

Another means for government to urinate all over the private car owner and price us off the roads. With fuel and insurance premiums forever rising, it won't be long.

In a fair world for every private road introduced, a proportionate reduction in road tax should be implemented for all vehicle owners, but in this world, i'm sure this will not come to light and if anything i expect road tax will increase.

On a slightly different note, if they do introduce private toll roads, they damn well better take card payment, as the ballache of remembering cash every time is enough to sell up and buy a bus pass.

It happens because Britons let it. Always have, always will.

I'm looking forward to seeing the countryside torn up for the inevitable toll road "gold rush". Not.

[Ethel]

I reckon it's just spin at the moment, I bet whatever they really have up their sleeves is a fair bit different.

I don't see how they can privatise the Highways Agency - how would it generate a profit - other than a direct payment off the government. The actual maintenance is already done by private contractors. didn't Railtrack teach them anything?

I can certainly see toll roads being on their agenda, and if flogging off the highways agency really is on the cards toll roads operator's licences could well be the sweetener. Just imagine how well they'll look after our existing motorways if they are in direct competition will their turnpikes? I'll also venture a prediction of an 80mph "pay to speed" limit to entice motorists on to them.

Surely privately run roads resulting in reduced fuel duty is totally spurious. We all know only a portion of it is spent on roads, unless the toll road operators make a sizeable contribution to the treasury the tax revenue will have to be made up somewhere. Also, if the existing motorway network remains it's still going to need maintaining - or left to become a potholed pleb's highway.

I wouldn't envisage many new roads either, just look at how much cash has been wasted on the planning and legal squabbling over expanding London's air traffic capabilities. We're more likely to get a few extra "premium" lanes squeezed alongside the existing tarmac.