If the government introduces road charging using a GPS system, there are a couple of things we should be aware of.
Firstly, as well as knowing which roads you have used, the Government will also know how fast you have travelled throughout the journey. I can forsee a situation where speed cameras will no longer be necessary as the GPS records will show if you have exceeded the speed limit at any stage of every journey you have made. They will have to build a new printing plant to handle all of the NIPs that they will require.(Sound effect of Gordon rubbing his hands).
Secondly, they will have records of every journey you will ever make and every place you visit. I am sure that the civil liberties lobby will have a heart attack.
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Emigrate to somewhere warm and sunny before it's too late.
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Even the USA is better than the UK on this score. Can you imagine a UK politician (once in power) sharing the attitude of the Maryland State Governor ....
www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=25&sid=527897
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GPS tracking of trucks and company cars is very common in the US - they had it before we did. In the US there is already talk of mandatory 'black box' recorders for cars, incorporating GPS tracking.
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Aprilia, there is "talk" of a lot of different measures over here. But the difference between the USA and the UK, as the article demonstrates, is that not 100% of US politicians are of the car hating big brother tendency!
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Aprilia, there is "talk" of a lot of different measures over here. But the difference between the USA and the UK, as the article demonstrates, is that not 100% of US politicians are of the car hating big brother tendency!
Despite the Governor's statement, most activists in the USA challenge the introduction of laws - not the methods of enforcing them. Thus the general public applaud police action to catch those breaking speed limits, running stop signs, jumping lights etc.
Perhaps in UK we should also campaign to, say, raise inappropriate speed limits rather than complaining about 'unfair' detection of those breaking the law.
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Always remember Gordon Brown does not have a licence and has never owned a car. There has always been a flunky to drive him around in a car paid for by someone else, lately us taxpayers.
Introduction of this sort of technology will see me exiting UK forever and would the 'if you've done nothing wrong you've got nothing to fear' mob please read some history and wake up.
Sent to you from an internet cafe in Pattaya. Calm down Growler I'm just checking my emails then off to the beach where my tour guide is waiting for me.
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I'm willing to bet a couple of months pay that the US introduce this technology before us. As many of you know, I work in the auto industry and there are several US companies readying themselves to start manufacture of 'black box' recorders for cars. It will not be long before they are introduced. Tracking will follow shortly afterwards.
Asinine comments about Gordon Brown notwithstanding, I suspect most governments around the world will gradually introduce some form of road tolling linked to tracking as the technology becomes more accessible - at least for tolling of city roads. Australia is very keen on the idea and the first country to implement it will probably be Honk Kong and then Japan (I am off to Japan for a few weeks later this year - this is one of the topics I will be discussing over there).
I guess there is always the option of moving to a developing country if that's what you fancy - in general most third world countries don't have a terribly good record on human rights and personal freedom though!
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I guess there is always the option of moving to a developing country if that's what you fancy - in general most third world countries don't have a terribly good record on human rights and personal freedom though!
Personal freedom. Hmmm. Would that be the sort of personal freedom where you can do what you like as long as someone can watch you and log your every move to be analysed and used against you with the benefit of hindsight at some unspecified point in the future? And for those that think this doesn't happen, just look at tax and financial services legislation where every day we witness retrospective application of current ideology.
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>>>I'm willing to bet a couple of months pay that the US introduce this technology before us<<<
I'd be happy to take you up on that!
Britain already leads the world in automated surveillance. Americans I talk to about the UK govt raising millions from speed cameras and police asleep in vans on bridges with ANPR scanners recording the traffic below go wide-eyed. Most refuse to believe it and class me as a 'tinfoil hat' wearer, that is, until I point them to the BBC web site.
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Britain already leads the world in automated surveillance. Americans I talk to about the UK govt raising millions from speed cameras and police asleep in vans on bridges with ANPR scanners recording the traffic below go wide-eyed. Most refuse to believe it and class me as a 'tinfoil hat' wearer, that is, until I point them to the BBC web site.
Hmm. So US police authorities don't collectively raise millions from issuing speeding tickets? And they don't have speed cameras ('photo radar' as they call it)? And they don't have APNR?
There are speed traps all over the US and they set stupidly low limits too. APNR was used in the US before it was used in the UK and is currently used extensively in many states.
I normally try not to be rude to other BR's, but there is nothing more boring than people who ramble on about how marvellous the US is, especially when they haven't lived there or base it on a two week holiday in Florida. Maybe you should talk to some Americans who are a little more knowledgable?
UK traffic enforcement is pretty much on a par with other Western countries.
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>>>>I normally try not to be rude to other BR's, but there is nothing more boring than people who ramble on about how marvellous the US is, especially when they haven't lived there or base it on a two week holiday in Florida. Maybe you should talk to some Americans who are a little more knowledgable?<<<<<
I too don't want to get into a pointless slanging match. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion.
For the record I would point out that I've lived in the US for four years. I have a business, travel extensively and work and socialise with Americans from just about every conceivable background.
>>>>Hmm. So US police authorities don't collectively raise millions from issuing speeding tickets? And they don't have speed cameras ('photo radar' as they call it)? And they don't have APNR?
There are speed traps all over the US and they set stupidly low limits too. APNR was used in the US before it was used in the UK and is currently used extensively in many states.<<<
I have also driven extensively in about twenty different states in the US. In one part of LA I recall seeing a sign warning of 'photo radar'.
In Chicago where I live there are no speed cameras. Not one. In fact I don't believe there are any in the state of Illinois. They have deployed a few red light cameras. Ordinary traffic policing is very noticeable, which I agree with. Even living in an estate, I regularly see police cars going by my house.
I believe Chicago police do use ANPR although it is mainly used for anti-gang activities.
My original post said that not all politicians here are in favour of such technologies - and included a pointer to a statement by the Maryland governor, which would seem to support my assertion.
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All toys to be kept in the pram. Only moderator-authorised teddy bears in the corner and absolutely no handbags to be used as weapons at dawn.
Because we're adults and we can disagree with each other without getting silly.
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'asinine comments about George Brown....'
Where? Surely our elected legislators should not only be highly intelligent and of good moral character but also reasonably streetwise and generally competent. I am astonished to read that he does not hold a driving licence. Is this peculiarity really true or is there a physical or mental disability his electorate and the motoring public should know about? Could this peculiarity, if true, be an indication of prejudice towards the freedom motorists enjoy?
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.>> Always remember Gordon Brown does not have a licence and hasnever owned a car. There has always been a flunky to drive him around in a car paid for by someone else, lately us taxpayers.
Why on earth should posession of a driving licence be a pre requisite for high office? AFAIK Gordon Brown can't drive because he's blind in one eye and has less than opmtimal vision in the other.
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Why on earth should posession of a driving licence be a pre requisite for high office? AFAIK Gordon Brown can't drive because he's blind in one eye and has less than opmtimal vision in the other.
Yet he still sees his way to fleecing us.
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I'ts the end of an era, the golden age of motoring in this country has long gone. Better enjoy what we have whilst it lasts before we are priced out of it, fuels costs and speed cameras.
Alternatively pop over the channel and enjoy more relative freedom in France, this place is just too crowded for motorists.
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Better get a move on then - speed cameras are springing up like weeds over here. They aren't painted bright yellow either.
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>> Why on earth should posession of a driving licence be
a pre requisite for high office? AFAIK Gordon Brown can't drive
because he's blind in one eye and has less than opmtimal
vision in the other.>> Yet he still sees his way to fleecing us.
At the same time, tries to pull the wool over our eyes.
Shear cheek I call it.
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I drive 2000 miles on the M25 per month, around the M23 to Heathrow section at rush Hour. At £1.34 per mile this equates to £2,680 per month. Well I don't take that much home Mr Darling so looks like I'm out of a job as my employer sure enough wont pay it either.
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>>I'ts the end of an era, the golden age of motoring in this country has long gone.
Haven't they said that ever since the Red Flag Act was repealed? !!!
But the crazy thing about this road pricing thing is that we already fuel duty, which is a very effective 'pay-for-use' tax.
And what's more drivers of thristy cars pay more, which suits the eco-friendly attitudes. Why change it?
If they start charging people to use motorways they'll just transfer to the old roads the motorways were originally built to replace.
Cheers, Sofa Spud
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Perhaps I should have made myself clearer. Gordon Brown has never had a real job. He went from student union to Labour related employment to parliament. He was always tagged for high office and wrapped up in cotton wool. He has simply no comprehension of the real world. I speak from personal experience...
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Perhaps I should have made myself clearer. Gordon Brown has never had a real job. He went from student union to Labour related employment to parliament. He was always tagged for high office and wrapped up in cotton wool. He has simply no comprehension of the real world. I speak from personal experience...
"I speak from personal experience... "
Aw Thommo, don't under-sell yourself!!
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SS
My thoughts too. Fuel duty gives a 'pay per mile' tax, related to size of vehicle and congestion, both of which increase consumption. It's collected via an existing system, paid in advance and very difficult to avoid.
Replacing this with a huge, and hugely expensive, new electronic monitoring system, plus a host of people (in government pay) managing the process and sending out bills after the event is madness. However, few governments like simple taxation systems, especially this one. The record of sucess(?) of large government computing projects does not give confidence either. I really fear Orwell's Big Brother has finally arrived.
I was disgusted by the BBC news the other night which seemed to work on the premise that road use was 'free' and completely ignored the current taxation of motorists - anyone else spot that?
JS
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