Distance-based road tax for all vehicles under investigation

**James Deuce** · 30th December 2006, 22:35

Originally Posted by RantyDave

So write to them.

Pointless. They don't give a rat's arse. "They've" spent billions in every liberal democracy trying to pump up the guilt factor for "climate change" instead of developing plans for dealing with it.

There'll be a nice big Northern Hemisphere Ice Age very soon. The last one kicked off in a similar way. Arctic Ice shelves break up, Gulf Stream gets interrupted, glaciers invade Europe, the North Sea freezes, the Northern Hemisphere Oceanic waters cool back down again and the climate equalises over 10,000 years to the current conditions. We were headed that way 300 years ago. But we started burning coal and melted the European glaciers by dusting them with soot so they absorbed energy from the Sun, and melted them. The Thames used to freeze almost to the sea up to about 3-400 years ago.

I'm trying to re-jig my brain into glorious leader format but I keep being nice to people. It's very important when you have to line up bureaucracies of 10s of thousands of people against the wall that you utterly lack compassion. I reckon Winja's the man for the job. NZ'ers like fat pollies with a sense of humour and a callous disregard for the wellbeing of the general populace.

We need a benevolent dictatorship or maybe a democratically elected Government of four people at the most.

Oh yeah. The first one of you lot to buy an electric vehicle for daily use is going to get roasted over a coal fire.

**Str8 Jacket** · 31st December 2006, 04:39

Bastards!
I especially loved this quote: "We still need to collect revenue to pay for our transport system, to improve it for safety, to improve it for congestion, to help support public transport."
Bastards!

**James Deuce** · 31st December 2006, 08:14

Yeah it's not like they haven't been raping road users for decades to feed taxes collected by that method into the consolidated fund or anything.

Is it?

**TonyB** · 31st December 2006, 08:35

Not sure if this point has been bought up yet, but if the system can automatically measure how FAR you have travelled, then it will also measure the amount of TIME it took. Therefore, along with road user charges the system will no doubt be able to automatically issue speeding tickets, although initially we'll be told that this will never happen, just like we were told that speed cameras would never be hidden and speed camera zones would always be clearly marked...

**Ixion** · 31st December 2006, 08:40

Which obviously is the real purpose of the exercise. After all, when you already have a simple and effective method of collecting tax based on distance travlled (more distance = more fuel = more tax), why change it to a complicated expensive one which will cost a fortune to implement. Unless you have another , unstated, purpose.

The claimed justification, falling revenue from petrol tax with more efficient vehicles is nonsense. If the problem is that the revenue needs to be $Y instead of $X , then it is not necessary to introduce a complete new system. simply increase the tax on the present system. The amount collected will still be the same, $Y.

**Str8 Jacket** · 31st December 2006, 08:45

Ya'll dont really think that the Govt would lie to us, do you?

**Ixion** · 31st December 2006, 08:55

Of course not. They're there to help us.

**TonyB** · 31st December 2006, 10:07

Ahh, but the funny part is, if that is indeed the idea, the govt will kill the goose that laid the golden egg. If it becomes impossible to speed without getting a ticket, then the vast majority of motorists will fall into line and stop speeding. The die hard speed freaks will find a way to cheat the system, and the govt will loose a significant source of income...

**Pixie** · 31st December 2006, 12:30

Originally Posted by Jim2

There'll be a nice big Northern Hemisphere Ice Age very soon. The last one kicked off in a similar way. Arctic Ice shelves break up, Gulf Stream gets interrupted, glaciers invade Europe, the North Sea freezes, the Northern Hemisphere Oceanic waters cool back down again and the climate equalises over 10,000 years to the current conditions. We were headed that way 300 years ago. But we started burning coal and melted the European glaciers by dusting them with soot so they absorbed energy from the Sun, and melted them. The Thames used to freeze almost to the sea up to about 3-400 years ago.

What no run away greenhouse effect?
Are all the things the well funded govt scientists on the global warming gravy train told us untrue?
My faith in them is destroyed

**degrom** · 31st December 2006, 12:40

Originally Posted by davereid

Nope, public transport is never green, its either very fuel inefficient, or very transport inefficient. Its just a fantasy that public transport is the future.

We let the transport planners waste our money on it, without ever asking them the basic question .. ie is it any good ? if we asked that question we would never fund it.

Look at it this way...

Fuel efficient bus.. you wait at the bus stop until all 55 seats are full. Thats a fuel efficient bus. Buts its not very transport efficient.

Transport efficient bus.. one every 3 minutes even on your rural route. But 99% of busses only carry the driver. Not very fuel efficient.

Actual public transport is worse - the bus is never regular enough to be useful, andit gets dismal fuel economy per passenger km.

(Exception being cities with existing infrastructure and 12000000 million people.)

The future is already here, its called the motor scooter.

Goes from where you are, to where you want to be, when you want to go and it gets 100 mpg. No waiting for the bus or train, just go and be green.

Yes scooter are a great idea!!! Just get rid of the 2strokes and get more elictrical ones. I know you can get electrical ones in Upper Hutt.

**James Deuce** · 31st December 2006, 12:45

Lol Pixie. You a cynic? Never!

I went to a talk by Bob McDavitt. PR people are confusing Climate Change with Greenhouse effect. Deliberately.

**James Deuce** · 31st December 2006, 12:48

Originally Posted by degrom

Yes scooter are a great idea!!! Just get rid of the 2strokes and get more elictrical ones. I know you can get electrical ones in Upper Hutt.

*scuttles outside to get the BBQ pit stoked and the really big spit roasting gear out*

*scuttles back inside to load 50 round Glock 18 mag and attach under barrel laser sight*

You're in Kelson, aren't you degrom?

What's the address of this place in Upper Hutt?

**degrom** · 31st December 2006, 12:53

Originally Posted by Jim2

*scuttles outside to get the BBQ pit stoked and the really big spit roasting gear out*

*scuttles back inside to load 50 round Glock 18 mag and attach under barrel laser sight*

You're in Kelson, aren't you degrom?

What's the address of this place in Upper Hutt?

Here is the Website - http://www.ecobike.co.nz/

LOL... Yes, in Kelson I am. (Why?)

**degrom** · 31st December 2006, 12:54

The scooter's spec's :

Engine Type: Electric, 1 x 1000-Watt rear wheel internal hub motor (Brush-less DC motor)
Battery: 48-Volts (4 x 12-Volt/20Ah) Sealed Lead Acid
Dimensions (LxWxH): 1600mm x 730mm x 1090mm
Wheelbase: 1180mm
Ground to Seat Height: 730mm
Max. Speed: 50kmph
Max. Range: Up to 50km per charge
Max. Load: 100kg
Brakes: Mechanical drum, front & rear
Tyres: Air Filled. 3.00-10 front & rear
Weight: 85kg
Colours:Candy-red, blue, black or dark-green