Motorcyclists to pay toll?

[eliot-ness]

The zero toll for motorcyclists is under review. operational cost of collecting payments is 52% of the total reveue and the operators are looking for ways to cut that figure. One suggestion is to start charging for bikes.
AA spokesman, Simon Lambourne, says that it's unfair that bikes are free, he lumps them in with rental cars to come up with a figure of 33,000 who don''t have to pay. Yet another case of the AA sticking their noses in. What business is it of theirs if what is in effect a private operation isn't making the expected profits through incompetence or bad planning? And if bikes are to be charged, wouldn't the cost of fitting new cameras to check rear number plates far exceed the revenue collected from the few bikes that use the road?

[Grahameeboy]

The AA are entitled to have their say but agree that the number of bikers that use the tunnel would probably not justify the cost of extra cameras etc...especially when we would just by pass the tunnel and enjoy SH16

[Elysium]

I don't live up there but I take it that you also pay cash on the spot also? If that's the case I can imagine long cues while the biker stops bike, takes off gloves, go through tank bag, backpack,pockets looking for wallet/cash.

Waste of time I think. Lately I've started to have a real dislike for AA as they wouldn't give me an F endorsment for my forklift licence because I had to provide proof of address, even though I had just got my full car licence from them almost a week before.

VTNZ had no problem giving me the endorsment.

[davereid]

Lately I've started to have a real dislike for AA as they wouldn't give me and F indorsment for my forklift licence because I had to provide proof of address, even though I had just got my full car licence from them almost a week before.

I developed this dislike of the AA when they enthusiastically joined the LTSA ID Card system.

Kiwis had overwhelmingly rejected Frau Shipleys "Kiwi-Card" ID system. Less than a year later we got photo ID drivers licences.

Of course, a drivers licence is a qualification, yet to get one you had to proves your address etc etc...

She got her ID card, and the AA helped.

[Elysium]

Of course, a drivers licence is a qualification, yet to get one you had to proves your address etc etc...


Yeah but I was trying to tell them why bringing a bank statement that gets posted once a month is more acceptable then the forlift licence I got posted to my address in a week.
VTNZ said AA was wrong in that regard as I can't get my licence in the first place without an address and all I wanted was an "F" endorment which VTNZ pointed out on the form, you don't need to provide a proof of an address.

[Maha]

The AA are entitled to have their say but agree that the number of bikers that use the tunnel would probably not justify the cost of extra cameras etc...especially when we would just by pass the tunnel and enjoy SH16

5251 bikes (so its more than a few) at the time the article was printed.

[munster]

Yeah but I was trying to tell them why bringing a bank statement that gets posted once a month is more acceptable then the forlift licence I got posted to my address in a week.
VTNZ said AA was wrong in that regard as I can't get my licence in the first place without an address and all I wanted was an "F" endorment which VTNZ pointed out on the form, you don't need to provide a proof of an address.

I never had the problem with local AA? I recently added F, D & Class 5 with no issues.

Local VTNZ I refuse to use (long story, but basically they pedandtic pricks).

AA does all servicing on wifes cage as well.

But back to topic, maybe we just all need to learn this manoeuvre?

<a href="http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k204/munster4x4/?action=view&current=SpeedCameraMotorbikeFoot.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k204/munster4x4/SpeedCameraMotorbikeFoot.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

[AD345]

BRONZ V AA FTW!



whooohooo, acronym city baby!

[yachtie10]

I would assume that to be fair Bikes would be charged $1 which would be below the collection cost
The actual collection cost seems to be a bit higher than 52%
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10602181

as mentioned above the cost of more cameras etc would make this nonsense

[Mom]

I dont make too many trips down that way in the car, so I refused to open a toll account, or give them access to my credit card for automatic top ups, I wont buy prepaid trips either. All I do is ring them either before I leave home if I am driving, or while on the road as a passenger and pay my return toll by phone.

I always get them to e-mail me my trip receipt :D

What a friggen hoot! $2.70 to administer a toll paid by phone :laugh:



For those paying by phone, it would have been cheaper to have waved them through for free. Each $2 phone payment cost $2.70 to administer.

[Murray]

Cyclists should be tolled for being cyclists

[paddy]

The zero toll for motorcyclists is under review. . .

Is it actually under review or is the AA just venting and wants to see it under review?

[CookMySock]

5251 bikes (so its more than a few) at the time the article was printed.times two bucks each is about ten grand? Er, isnt that rather small in the big scheme of things?

Steve

[Squiggles]

For the toll we'd have to pay there'd be fuck all gain in doing it...

[MarkH]

I would assume that to be fair Bikes would be charged $1 which would be below the collection cost
The actual collection cost seems to be a bit higher than 52%
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10602181

as mentioned above the cost of more cameras etc would make this nonsense



This really pisses me off, like I have mentioned in the past - we pay plenty in road tax (it is a significant part of the cost of petrol) so why isn't that paying for the roads. Why do we pay road tax to fund roading then get asked to pay for a new road? I would rather pay another 5c (or even 10c) per litre of petrol and have better roads (especially safer roads for bikes). At least another 10c per litre wouldn't have 6c or 7c of it swallowed up in admin costs - the cost to collect it would be no higher than the current costs to collect road tax from petrol - 10c more tax would equate to 10c more net revenue (or damn near it).

I have always been against the tolling of roads, partly because we already pay road tax and partly because we can be 100% certain that a significant part of what we pay in the toll will be used up in the cost of collecting that toll - that is fuckin' inefficient.

Of course there is also the issue of the government taking the 'road tax' from petrol & diesel and not using much of it on roads, jamming a big chunk of it into the consolidated fund - then telling us that we need to pay more - WTF!

[Maha]

times two bucks each is about ten grand? Er, isnt that rather small in the big scheme of things?

Steve

Yes it is but I dont set the rules, or change them.

[R6_kid]

I've used the tunnel twice - both in the same night, and both times after 10pm when there was negligible traffic on either road.

I enjoy the other alternatives, it just sucks going up SH1 and getting stuck behind people who can't even maintain the 80kph speed limit along that stretch of road.

[Mschvs]

I think they should be paying us and thanking us for using bikes which not only do a lot less damage to the roads but cause less congestion as well! Wankers

[popelli]

The zero toll for motorcyclists is under review. operational cost of collecting payments is 52% of the total reveue and the operators are looking for ways to cut that figure.


an easier way to reduce costs would be to stop collecting the tolls altogether

the govt is always looking for new ways to tax people and to expand the civil service, they should look at cutting red tape and reducing the cost of supplying non essential services and removing a lot of the layers of civil service

unfortunately the civil servants have a vested interest in creating more lucrative layers of administration to provide them with secure well paid employment

[fliplid]

the govt is always looking for new ways to tax people and to expand the civil service, they should look at cutting red tape and reducing the cost of supplying non essential services and removing a lot of the layers of civil service

unfortunately the civil servants have a vested interest in creating more lucrative layers of administration to provide them with secure well paid employment

Did you ever see an old British TV series called "Yes Minister"- that was basically Humphries job!

[Grahameeboy]

5251 bikes (so its more than a few) at the time the article was printed.

They must be scooters....oh and Harleys as SH 16 has too many bends...

Still at $4 a pop is it economic

[Pixie]

I developed this dislike of the AA when they enthusiastically joined the LTSA ID Card system.

.

The AA are a pack of wankers.
You just have to look at their "Erections" magazine - most of their advertisers are selling electric wheelchairs,stair climbers and magnetic blankets.This tells you who their members are.

[Mystic13]

The toll system already recognises motorbike number plates. New cameras aren't needed.

The AA are hilarious. They're not happy that some motorists are paying they want all to pay. They don't understand that many who own bikes own cars.

[swbarnett]

Did you ever see an old British TV series called "Yes Minister"- that was basically Humphries job!
And when Margeret Thatcher was asked by the Chinese premiere "Surely that's not how the British Government works?" she replied "Yeah, that's about right." (or words to that affect).