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NOVEMBER 2010 NEWS
Tuesday 30 November 2010
USA Roundup
New no tolls group on Ohio River Bridges - WHAS - "Anti-toll group takes action against Ohio Bridges Project bridge tolls" video Fox - "New Indiana group opposes tolls on bridges" video.
Their site - No2Bridge Tolls.org.
Sundry stories - Ohio River Bridges - "Transportation Secretary says bridge tolls still under review" Ohio River Bridges - "Pro-Ohio River bridge group's study sees tolls of 75 cents to $2" Ohio River Bridges - "The bridges toll for thee" "DRPA budget calls for toll hikes" "DRPA divided on delays in fee hikes" W Virginia - "Tolls may be only funding option for U.S. 35" Oklahoma - "Tulsa mayor supports tolling the Gilcrease Extension".
Bit more on removal of toll
CBC - "Saint John bridge deal raises questions".
Not surprisingly part of the news media is not happy that there will be no tolls - Daily Gleaner - "Too quick to say yes".
Effect of the toll exemptions
People's Daily - "Vegetable prices fall under toll-free policy".
Taiwan may make tracking compulsory
Taipei Times - "Mandatory use of OBU devices for tolls is questioned".
Monday 29 November 2010
Update on Slovakia's new tolls system
Spectator - "Criticism of e-toll system resurfaces".
Bit more on removal of toll
CBC - "Reactions mixed for N.B. bridge deal".
Update on Phillipines disputed toll increases
Inquirer - "What went before: SLEx toll rate hike".
Sunday 28 November 2010
USA Roundup
Sundry stories - Penn. - "Planners put positive spin on tolls for stretch of 422" "San Francisco toll plan has supporters" N.H. - "No new tolls needed on Everett Turnpike" Maine - "Roads, bridges 'on edge of failure'".
Some Australian drivers brave the authorities
Courier-Mail - "Motorists rake up nearly $29 million in unpaid free-flow tolling fees on Gateway and Logan motorways".
Based on previous cases in Australia, the brave few are most likely to be women.
No war on drivers north of the border
Herald - "U-turn over war on cars sparks anger".
It was never likely that the Scottish Government would bring in any form of road pricing, despite what the troll supporters at the Herald and elsewhere may have hoped.
Government say that they can't afford to remove Dartford tolls
Kent News - "Dartford crossing tolls make too much cash for government to scrap them". The income from the tolls is far less than the economic damage that they do. The true reason that the Government won't get rid of the tolls, is that they fear that removing any tolls will bring the whole corrupt edifice down.
Meanwhile the new Labour leader pleads ignorance - Your Canterbury - "Readers put questions to Labour leader".
Saturday 27 November 2010
USA Roundup
"Mobility Choice" (which is controlled by the almost invisible "Institute for the Analysis of Global Security") wants a LOT more tolls, unusually it also wants higher gas taxes in the form of a war levy, though it would be spent not on troops or roads but on mass transit - DC StreetsBlog - "Paying at the Pump for Oil Wars: A Plausible Option? " Mobility Choice - "Taking the Wheel" pdf.
Rare Thanksgiving gift - Baltimore Sun - "Free Del. tolls smooth drive and fliers elect not to 'opt-out'".
Sundry stories - Penn. - "Adding tolls to Route 422 is taxation without representation" letter Va. - "Barrier-free tolling planned for Richmond's Downtown Expressway" N.H. - "Tolls plan may add insult to injury" La. - "Parish presidents pitching toll road" W.Va. - "Senator says U.S. 35 dilemma symptom of 'national crisis'".
S.F. - "Squash congestion pricing: It’s just gravy for supes" W.Va. - "Decision on U.S. 35 tolls awaits Mason commission's answer" W.Va. - "Mason County Commission Anticipates Strong Case" Maine - "Turnpike toll takers dispute money tracking records" Delaware - "Toll construction causes major delays on 95 north" Ga. - "Congestion Pricing: To Skip Traffic, Atlanta Says Pay Up".
Novel way of avoiding tolls
Global Times - "Cops pull over triple-decker truck".
The story suggests that the driver was also trying to cut fuel costs. In fact the fuel cost will be higher for one vehicle than they would be for three vehicles of the same joint weight, as it is spread over more wheels, and the wind resistance is reduced with less height.
Bit more on truckers protest
Hindustan Times - "Truckers' strike in India from December 5".
The Indian drivers are probably wasting their time. As with China, official corruption will ensure that tolls don't go away, they will only go up.
Spanish Government to aid the trolls
Typically Spanish - "Tolls set to rise on certain motorways".
Removal of toll is definite
Telegraph-Journal - "PM and Premier bridge the gap" Telegraph-Journal - "Removal of tolls welcomed " Daily Gleaner - "Saint John tolls going away" Chronicle Herald - "PM forgives Saint John bridge debt" CBC - "Harper reveals Saint John bridge deal" comments.
Official press release - PM's Office - "PM and Premier Alward announce agreement to eliminate Saint John Harbour Bridge tolls".
Friday 26 November 2010
Removal of toll seems to be definite
Daily Gleaner - "Harper heads to Saint John for bridge announcement" CBC - "Harper set to kill Saint John bridge tolls: sources" comments.
AGW
Believe us, it really is hotter than ever and it's due to 'greenhouse gases' - BBC - "Met Office says 2010 'among hottest on record'" Met Office - "Scientific evidence is Met Office focus at Cancun".
Thursday 25 November 2010
Moscow has not fallen for Con trap
Bloomberg - "Moscow Transport Chief Rules Out London-Style Congestion Charge".
Queensland Government sells toll roads to itself
Sydney Morning Herald - "Queensland does a u-turn on sale of toll roads" Australian - "Bligh government scraps Queensland Motorways sale" Courier-Mail - "State to keep tolling of Gateway and Logan motorways after selling them to QIC" Brisbane Times - "Queensland Motorways to remain in public hands after all".
E-tolls fun
Daily Telegraph - "RTA raiders routed ".
Update on truckers protest
Hindustan Times - "Truckers’ strike may send prices soaring".
More on Tory MPs complaining about Dartford tolls
Dartford Times - "Westminster debate on Dartford River Crossing congestion" BBC - "Dartford Crossing congestion 'discourages investment'".
Going down the wrong track
BBC - "Railways to get £8bn investment".
To some extent this increased rail spending is a mirage, as Labour had already planned more spending.
But the bigger issue is that some of the spending, including that on electrification, seems to be based on the delusion that rail=green, and electric=green. There is nothing green about thousand ton trains which in some cases are less than half full. And there is also nothing green about increased use of electricity as it must all come from the burning of fossil fuels. For some of the non inter city lines it would be better if they were converted to roads.
Wednesday 24 November 2010
Tory MP complains about Dartford toll rises
BBC - "Dartford car tolls increase criticised by Essex MP".
Automatic charging
Mayor Watch - "Registration opens for Congestion Charge auto-billing".
Worthless promise
Scunthorpe Telegraph - "Chancellor George Osborne will look at Humber Bridge tolls issue again".
Likely removal of toll moves closer
CBC - "Saint John Harbour Bridge deal close" comments.
AGW
It will get a lot warmer by the end of the century - Montreal Gazette - "Climate change is a real and present danger" Independent - "UN issues severe climate warning ahead of summit" BBC - "Climate pledges fall short, says UN".
This is all part of the biggest lie ever. And we don't mean whether it is getting warmer or not (only time will tell, as there is not sufficent reliable data to tell whether we are moving back to a full glacial period or are breaking out of what will have been a very short Ice Age). What we mean is that this AGW mania masks the real calamity which is the size of the world's population. In 1960 it was 3.0 billion, it is now 6.9 billion, and at the current growth rate of 1.1 per cent a year, in 2099 there will be 18.0 billion people.
Tuesday 23 November 2010
Brisbane to become toll city
Brisbane Times - "Council bid for city's tolls takes shape" Brisbane Times - "Congestion charge could fund rail project: engineers".
Update on Brisbane's bust toll tunnel
ABC - "Clem7 tunnel 'losing about $8m a month'" Sydney Morning Herald - "The 5 reasons Clem7 failed to woo drivers" comments.
Sham
BBC - "UK government agrees on skilled migration cap".
The Government want to give the impression that they are doing something, but what they have announced will have little effect on the 200,000 net immigration or on the fact that within ten years the majority of people in London will be ethnically non-British.
AGW
Telegraph - "Peak energy? What peak energy?" comments.
A pity that James has wandered off the AGW sceptics path and is now sceptical about "peak oil". He has fallen into the trap of believing that as man has coped in the past, with new discoveries and inventions, that this process will continue and so the oil will not run out. In a world that is already over populated, it is highly likely that we will run out of oil and a lot of other things, and that there will be no solution.
Monday 22 November 2010
Toll rises
CBC - "Hearing for bridge toll increase begins" comments.
Drivers need to get richer
Straits Times - "Why ERP rates go up".
The official line is that population growth is ignored, which implies that a smaller proportion of people will be able to drive at any one time. Given that Singapore encourages population growth and the population has nearly trebled in 50 years, the forcing of less well off drivers off the road, may be the least worry for the people of Singapore.
A quiet strangling
The "Peter Roberts" website is to be buried - Guardian - "E-petitions website shelved".
Proof of the pudding
Kent News - "Drivers' fury as gales close Dartford crossing but tolls stay open".
We were a bit surprised when the Roads Minister announced that the tolls would be lifted if there were delays at the Dartford Crossing. Given that the tolls causes delays every day, this would mean that the tolls would be off a lot of the time. But as the tolls were not lifted in this extreme case, it seems that the Minister's promise was nothing more than words.
Modern technology
BBC - "1,000mph car project 'on track'".
Strange that this advanced technology involves 300 labourers using buckets and spades. Also strange that we are developing hyper fast cars, instead of trying to develop a more fuel efficient one.
More UK money to bail out the Irish establishment
BBC - "Ireland bail-out in UK's interests, says George Osborne".
There are two answers as to why the Chancellor is giving seven billion pounds to the Irish who are richer than us and already receive more handouts from the EU than any country apart from Luxembourg. One answer is that he wants to reward the corrupt trolls. The other, and more worrying one, is that if Ireland fails in any way then the Chancellor's friends in the City of London will be in trouble as they have already lent many many billions to Ireland.
Sunday 21 November 2010
More on the plan to put a toll on free bridge
BBC - "'New lease of life' promised for Runcorn Widnes bridge".
USA Roundup
Sundry stories - Wisconsin - "Poll finds 52% in state oppose train" Texas - "New appointees will help board shape tollway's future" "Group organizes to fight against tolling on the Ohio River Bridges Project".
Some toll exemptions, in theory
Xinhua Net - "China rolls out measures to fight inflation".
Though these toll exemptions only apply to a few vehicles, the chances are that what the Government says will be ignored, because in theory tolls have already been removed for ALL vehicles.
Capitalist club wants Australia to have even more road tolls
Green Left - "OECD: increase GST, lower company taxes".
Saturday 20 November 2010
USA Roundup
Heroine - Fox - "Most Frequent EZ Tag Skipper Arrested".
Republicans wasn't more tolls - DC Streets Blog - "GOP Wants to Bring Transpo Policy Back to the 1950s ".
Sundry stories - W Virginia - "U.S. 35 controversy: WVPA claims Mason Co. had no right to rescind toll approval" Washington State - "Tolling on 520 and I-90 bridges a reasonable start" NY - "Delaware River Agency Rethinks Stalling Toll Increase Over Swaps Penalty".
Uncertain profit
Western Mail - "Decline in traffic over Severn bridges means profits are ‘uncertain’".
It may be uncertain whether the Severn Crossing Company will make a profit, but what is 100% certain is that the use of private finance means that drivers will be fleeced. The bridge built by the Company cost about £300 million, and by the time the concession ends, drivers will have paid about £2,000 million in tolls. The other thing that is certain is that the Government profits from the scam, as they charge VAT on the tolls which will net them about £15 million in 2011, and they also get Corporation tax from the Company which in 2009 alone was £10 million.
More fleecing
BBC - "Councils lobby government to raise parking fines".
The Transport Minister told the BBC that "What we are doing is looking very objectively and very fairly at the evidence presented to us by the councils on the one hand and the British Parking Association on the other hand.". As both of those parties want fines to go up, it seems that the Minister must already have decided that it is not a question of whether drivers will be robbed, but only a question of who will share in the loot.
Friday 19 November 2010
USA Roundup
Tax collectors no longer exempt from taxes - Star Ledger - "Port Authority of N.Y., N.J. halts free bridge, tunnel crossings for employees".
Trolls go to Court - Charleston Daily Mail - "U.S. 35 project headed to court" WVNS - "Route 35 Project Now in Hands of Supreme Court" video Charleston Gazette - "State to proceed with plans for U.S. 35 tolls" comments WOWKTV - "SMason County Commission Mistaken in Toll Road Reversal".
The Big Blue Troll wants us to be "intelligent", i.e. pay tolls to use the roads - SF Chronicle - "We need to use roads more intelligently".
Bridge tolls to pay for a dog "park" - NBC - "New Bay Bridge Means New Dog Park".
Sundry stories - Washington State - "State proposes 520 bridge toll rates" NY - "Ravitch: Tolls on Every Major Road Needed, Just to Keep Transpo Afloat" Washington State - "Tolls on the 520 Bridge? Not if Tim Eyman has his way" California - "S.F. Toll Between Peninsula and the City?" comments.
Kiwis look forward to being on camera
Sunlive - "No touch tolls for TEL".
Thursday 18 November 2010
Minutes of the Inflation Cttee
BofE - "Minutes Of The Monetary Policy Committee Meeting 3 And 4 November 2010" pdf.
USA Roundup
New Hampshire officials consider how to stop drivers escaping from tolls - Nashua Telegraph - "Hearing targets lost tolls".
KIROTV - (Washington State) - "Bay Area Bridge Tolls Didn't Reduce Traffic; WSDOT Says 520 Bridge Tolls Will".
Sundry stories - Washington State- "Did Eyman Just Kill the Deep-bore Tunnel?" Pennsylvania - "Tolls on Route 422 remains a bad idea" California - "As We See It: Welcome to Santa Cruz: $5" "Delay in DRPA toll hike hits a delay" "DRPA Puts Off Toll Hike Delay Decision" video Washington State - "One-way tolls on 520 bridge could be $3.50" comments.
New Enforcer
Thurrock Gazette - "Borough MP questions roads minister about Dartford toll hike".
The Roads Minister when in opposition recognised (along with 99% of drivers) that the Dartford tolls caused drivers many miserable hours of queuing. He called for the Labour Government to remove the tolls. Now he is in power it seems that he is an expert at pulling the wool over the eyes of fellow Tory MPs.
More on "no" to peak tolls
Chronicle Herald - "Bridge boss surprised rush-hour tolls panned".
Hot air or real hope?
Scunthorpe Telegraph - "Treasury minister calls for long-term solution to Humber Bridge tolls issue" Grimsby Telegraph - "MPs lobby Treasury Minister for Humber Bridge tolls solution" Hull Daily Mail - "Step forward in Humber Bridge toll campaign?".
Officers at Tory controlled Council wanted to toll the M4
Get Wokingham - "M4 congestion charge plan is ‘unacceptable’".
Peak spreading
Brisbane Times - "Early peak trend citywide: RACQ".
This story demonstrates three things. Firstly, that congestion is a problem in one of the World's least densely populated countries. Secondly, that drivers will adjust their habits without the need for the stick of congestion charges. And lastly, it shows that Australians can get up early!
Britain deeper in debt
PA - "UK slumps another £10bn into red" ONS - "Public sector finances - October 2010" pdf.
AGW
Canadian senators stop anti CO2 Bill - BBC - "Canada senate kills climate bill ahead of UN summit" CBC - "Killed climate change bill flawed: Harper" LOTS of comments CTV - "Liberals forced vote that killed climate bill".
Wednesday 17 November 2010
The expensive way to pay for roads
Weekend Post - "Tolls not an efficient way to fund roads".
USA Roundup
Mercury News - "San Francisco plans tolls between Peninsula and the city".
More tolls proposed for Washington State - Seattle Times - "$3.50 peak toll planned on 520; Eyman protests" LOTS of comments Bellevue Komo - "One-way 520 tolls could be $3.80" Bellevue Reporter - "State Transportation Commission agrees on $3.50 peak toll rates for SR-520" Publicola - "Eyman: My Initiative Bars Tolls on 520 Bridge" comments Seattle Pi - "One-way 520 tolls could be $3.80" comments.
More etolls "fun" - WBALTV - (Maryland) - "More E-ZPass Customers Frustrated Over Violations" video KXAN - (Texas) - "Confusion leads to heavy toll fines" video.
Sundry stories - California - "Taking the free from our freeways" DRPA - "Inquirer Editorial: Delay the toll hike" California - "Paying to use those carpool lanes" California - "MTA considers more freeway toll lanes to reduce congestion" Maryland - "First Segment of Intercounty Connector Close to Opening".
Another report on Severn tolls rise
Free Press - "Anger as Severn crossing tolls are set to rise".
More tolls
The Age - "Motorists may face more toll roads".
Switched tolls
Sydney Morning Herald - "Student's bright idea: time for U-turn on tolls in cities".
Faint hope
Grimsby Telegraph - "MPs have "positive" meeting with Treasury Minister over bridge tolls".
Devil you don't know
roadtransport.com - "Burns Report: a slow burner?".
Hauliers have it bad at the moment, but they are gullible to believe that any change will not be for the worse.
Off peak
CBC - "Peak bridge tolls won't work: study" comments.
Shifting cars downriver
BC Local - "Easy but pricey ride coming".
Higher Greek tolls
Kathimerini - "Sharp rise in Malgara tolls".
Irish salt tax
Independent - "Dempsey admits new road tolls are needed".
Update on the new system of tolling roads in Zimbabwe
Sunday News - "Tollgates: Something is wrong somewhere".
Tuesday 16 November 2010
USA Roundup
Congestion pricing may be good for some businesses - Mercury News - "San Francisco may do us a favor with 'congestion pricing' for motorists".
The people who don't need to pay - Sign On San Diego - "Public worker privacy takes toll on collections".
Sundry stories - "DRPA says toll hike delay on agenda" "Delaware River Port Authority board member proposes delaying $1 toll hike" California - "Editorial: Bay Area bridge study an exercise in wasteful spending" Colorado - "E-470 drivers will have to cough up more cash for toll road use".
Ohio - "Port board told tolls could fund U.S. 30 project" California - "MTA considers more freeway toll lanes to reduce congestion" Washington State - "WSDOT to present tolling options to Transportation Commission on Tuesday".
"Dear George, Inflation is looking up and you will be pleased to know will get even higher. Melvyn"
CPI is 3.2% and RPI is 4.5% - BBC - "UK inflation rate in surprise October increase" BofE - "Letter from the Governor to the Chancellor" ONS - "Consumer price indices October 2010" pdf.
More on Rock and tolls
Gibraltar Chronicle - "EU Still ‘Not On Notice’ Of Sanchez Toll".
"Testicular fortitude" needed when robbing drivers
NZ Herald - "Road users perfect source for rail funds".
Trolls defend new Nigerian toll road
Vanguard - "Why we are building three toll plazas along Lekki-Epe Road".
Monday 15 November 2010
USA Roundup
Sundry stories - Colorado - "Toll turbulence — Mason takes a stand on U.S. 35" New Hampshire - "Turnpike toll options considered".
More on truckers protest
MSN - "Negotiating to avert strike, truckers must be reasonable: Nath".
Cost of Severn tolls
Western Mail - "What you could buy with Severn Crossing toll cash".
Cost of Private finance of tolls
Sydney Morning Herald - "NSW could have been $4.6b ahead, report says" audio.
AGW
GISS have published the global temperatures for October - "GLOBAL Land-Ocean Temperature Index" (near bottom of page).
According to GISS the anomaly for October is plus 0.62 degrees Celsius from the average for 1951 to 1980. This is their 3rd highest ever October figure, and was only beaten by 2003 and 2005. If you take the average for the months January to October then it is their highest ever figure at plus 0.65.
According to the Met Office the UK temperatures for October were "close to normal" for almost every part of the country - "October 2010".
Sunday 14 November 2010
Truckers protest
Hindu Business Line - "Truckers threaten stir against toll taxes".
With some effect - Economic Times - "Govt reduces toll tax on multi-axle vehicles".
USA Roundup
Tolls pushing - Pottstown Mercury (Pa.) - "Campaign aims at gaining tolling support" Daily Press (Viginia) - "Editorial: No free lunch on roads".
New website - "Tolls Worse Than Taxes! (And Taxes Ain't Good)"".
Sundry stories - Colorado - "E-470 board approves toll increase"".
More on Jakarta Con
Jakarta Post - "Solving gridlock in Jakarta" Jakarta Globe - "Council Weighs Odd Idea to Overcome Jakarta's Traffic Problems".
More economists gliding down the Yellow Brick Road
BBC - "Tax review urges overhaul on VAT".
The work done for the IFS covers a lot of ground and is to be published as two books. The first book is now available - IFS - "Dimensions Of Tax Design" pdf. It has over 1,300 pages and in the chapter on "Environmental Taxes" argues that fuel taxes should be replaced with congestion charging / road pricing to fight "the major environmental problems now facing policy-makers — acid rain, global warming, traffic congestion"..
As we have commented before the people who come up with these ideas seem to live in a different world. It is one in which population size and growth is not a problem (and is not even mentioned), in which fuel taxes are removed to reduce acid rain and global warming (which they believe in), and in which it costs nothing to set up and run a system that tolls all the roads.
Friday 12 November 2010
USA Roundup
More on congestion tolls proposal for San Fran - Sacremento Bee - "San Francisco officials consider new tolls" NBC - "New Tolls For Driving in SF".
Another scam, using a toll to pay for waste water - Keys Net (Florida) - "Key Largo toll idea gaining traction".
Sundry stories - Florida - "New Road Project Could Create Toll Hikes" W Virginia - "Completion of U.S. 35 now appears in doubt" comments "Vancouver City Council's quarterly meeting doesn't stray far from Columbia River Crossing" Washington State - "Guess who gets to test photo-tolling scheme?".
Thursday 11 November 2010
USA Roundup
It may toll for thee in San Fran - SF Chronicle - "S.F. may hit drivers with variety of tolls" ABC - "SF considers downtown congestion pricing" video.
Or maybe not - SF Weekly - "Congestion Pricing Likely To Be Killed By Prop. 26" SF Examiner - "Congestion pricing faces high hurdle at ballot box".
About face in West Virginia, but the trolls will go ahead anyway - WSAZ - "Mason County Reverses Position on Route 35 Toll Road Proposal" video Charleston Gazette - "Mason votes against toll road" comments Charleston Daily Mail - "Mason rescinds approval of US 35 tolls" Wboy - "Route 35 Tolls Expected To Become Financial Burden For Some Families" video.
Big Blue and more tolls pushing - Environmental Leader - "Making Transportation More Sustainable".
Market Place - ""Congestion pricing" could be the future of transportation financing".
Sundry stories - "Delaware River Port Authority Board member calls for $50M in unspent funds to be frozen" Ohio River Crossing - "Clark County Commissioners say no tolls more than $1" Washington State - "Leaders still have the HOTs to build toll lanes on I-405".
New Hampshire - "Board says it wants no tolls in city" Georgia - "Ga. 400 toll decision still sticks in voters’ craws" lot of comments Colorado - "Election may be roadblock to extension of U.S. 36 HOV lanes".
Color of the future?
Inst of Ethics & Emerging Technologies - "Paying to Make Red Lights Turn Green".
Doubling the Rip-off
BBC - "Clifton Suspension Bridge toll likely to double" Clifton Bridge - "Cash Tolls May Have To Double".
Australian vultures hover over London
The Big Business interests behind London First have always backed forcing the plebs (anyone who doesn't get a banker's wages) off the road. Now they are being helped by the Australians - FT - "Business seeks congestion charge revamp".
Helsinki Con not gone away
Helsinki Times - "Traffic levels do not justify need for congestion charge" Helsinki Times - "Motorists would finance public transport".
Chinese Puzzle
Global Times - "Better buses beat new congestion charges in cities".
It's a puzzle, why the Chinese think that New York introduced congestion pricing. But an even bigger puzzle, that they hadn't figured out that if you made the buses free, then you'd need some more buses.
Bit more on possible Cambridge toll
Hunts Post - "Private sector could rescue A14 project".
Update on Jakarta Con
Tempo Interactive - "Jakarta Wants Government Decree to Solve Traffic Congestion".
More on the new South African tolls
Mail & Guardian - "How Gauteng's toll roads will work".
Severn tolls going nowhere but up
South Wales Argus - "Severn bridges toll rise is ‘body blow’" Western Mail - "Talks on removing Severn Crossings toll booths hit a stumbling block" HGV UK - "FTA outraged at Severn toll hike" Western Mail - "Severn bridges tolls to rise by 20p" BBC - "Severn river tolls rise 20p for cars and 80p for HGVs".
NAAT submission to the Committee (pdf).
AGW
BBC - "Call to stop fossil fuel subsidy".
This is the usual smoke and mirrors. The IEA report gives a graph which shows that the country that gives the biggest subsidies is Saudia Arabia. The IEA turn a blind eye to the fact that China has a 50 times bigger population than Saudi Arabia and the effect of China's subsidies are far greater.
China has twice decided to remove these subsidies and introduce fuel taxes at the same time as removing road tolls. The problem is that the troll companies and most of the local authorities have ignored this, so China will increasingly become the main factor in the size of oil and other fossil fuel use.
Monday 8 November 2010
Bit more on the new South African tolls
Business Day - "New tolls designed for revenue".
AGW
Telegraph - "Solar mania will cast a shadow over Britain".
Sunday 7 November 2010
USA Roundup
Sundry stories - New Jersey - "Why are we letting toll cheats go scot-free?" Columbia River Crossing - "Losses not end of road for anti-tolling activist" "DRPA's trove of unspent millions" W Virginia - "Commissioners to vote again on U.S. 35 tolls; Special meeting set for Nov. 10".
Saturday 6 November 2010
USA Roundup
Post & Courier (S Carolina) - "It is us for whom the tolls bill".
Suffolk News-Herald (Va.) - "Proposed 460 tolls are nutty".
More tolls fun - Eyewitness News (RI.) - "Man arrested after paying his toll" video.
King5 (Washington State) - "Tolling Seattle viaduct tunnel could complicate traffic" video Seattle Pi - "Tolls could mean delays for cars, buses through downtown".
Sundry stories - Penn. - "Toll free turnpike" letter Texas - "TXDoT files lawsuits for big toll fines" video Ohio River bridges - "Officials: Tolls Necessary To Pay For Bridge Construction" video Va. - "Toll debate dominates VDOT meeting" W Virginia - "U.S. 35 tolls to go up every four years".
Spying on the toll takers
Security Info Watch - "Indian toll surveillance system to utilize Infinova cameras".
More on Rock and tolls
Gibraltar Chronicle - "Euro Rules Prohibit Discriminatory Tolls, Says Commission".
Can't cope with VAT on tolls refunds
Financial Channel - "Non-functioning EU electronic VAT refund system threatens road transport companies of bankruptcy".
Row over who gets tolls loot
This is Somerset - "Hands off our Severn bridges". And another report on the Welsh Affairs Cttee visit - BBC - "MPs learn Severn Crossing tolls should fall in 2017".
AGW
The sceptics' favourite green argues that beleievers and deniers should unite behind investing in research into cheaper green fuels - Big Government - "What Conservatives (and Everybody Else) Could Learn From ‘Cool".
Lomborg is himself a denier that population growth is a problem. This could be why, despite his other green views, he is loved by many on the right.
Friday 5 November 2010
Two questions on the Con
What do they know?- "Congestion Charge Analysis - Revenue and Congestion - Annual Reports" What do they know?- "London Congestion Charge - AutoPay Problems".
Residents to be reminded that discount will end
Mayor Watch - "WEZ residents warned of end to C-Charge discount".
Another M6 Toll?
Telegraph - "Relief road could be financed with private cash".
Plaid Cymru want Welsh hands on tolls loot
Western Mail - "Plaid wants Wales to control Severn bridges".
Montreal to have a vehicle tax instead of road tolls
Quebec was likely to have stopped a road tolls plan, so the Mayor is to try another way of getting drivers to pay for mass transit - Montreal Gazette - "Tax on cars not designed to fill coffers".
In the dark on shadow toll
Squamish Chief (B.C.) - "Document reveals Sea to Sky Highway being ‘shadow’ tolled".
Bust tunnel rises toll prices
Brisbane Times - "Clem7 tunnel toll on the rise" poll and comments Courier Mail - "RiverCity Motorways says sorry, but Clem7 tolls have to rise" poll and lot of comments.
Based on the M6 Toll, a steep rise in tolls makes sense, as most of those who are happy to pay tolls don't seem to be affected by how high the price is.
Thursday 4 November 2010
USA Roundup
America' budget problems solved - Fox - "Texas man receives $44,000 toll fine" video.
Selling tolls to dummies (and drunks) - Grist - "How to make congestion pricing seem fun and fair" video.
Sundry stories - W Virginia - "Parkways Authority Votes to Pass Route 35 Toll Road Proposal" lot of comments W Virginia - "Questions Arise About Tolls on U.S. 35" Ohio River bridges - "Tolls expected to be part of Ohio River bridge plan" video Ohio River bridges - "Tolls are part of updated Ohio River bridges plan" Washington State - "Photo tolling scheme still has a few bugs, its critics say" .
Virginia - "Route 460 toll could reach $11" "Delaware River Port Authority committee calls for pay, perks review" Louisiana - "Officials: Leeville bridge tolls may rise".
More on Welsh Affairs Cttee hearing
BBC - "MPs learn Severn Crossing tolls should fall in 2017" South Wales Argus - "Card payment for Severn bridges 'back within days'".
Delhi Con
Sify - "Delhi mulls congestion tax".
Mayor pulling the plug?
London Daily News - "Mayor slashes £14m from electric cars project - Are they wanted?".
To answer our own question - No. He may or may not realise that electric cars are as useful as the Emperor's new suit of invisible clothes, but he will not want to upset the green-blues too much.
SS Britain keeps on inflation course
BBC - "UK interest rates remain at record low" BofE - "Bank of England Maintains Bank Rate at 0.5% and the Size of the Asset Purchase Programme at £200 Billion".
More on Dartford tolls
Thurrock Gazette - "Is tolls hike fair on us?".
More on Humber tolls
Scunthorpe Telegraph - "MPs hope to bash out terms of Humber Bridge tolls review in Treasury meeting".
No tolls for soldiers?
Western Mail - "Waive Severn bridge fees for members of Forces, says Tory MP".
Rebalancing of tolls to move the queues
Standard - "Tunnel tolls shake-up seen as solution to traffic jams".
Wednesday 3 November 2010
Transport Committee's Day out
Scunthorpe Telegraph - "'Road scheme is vital for our area': Civic and business chiefs meet Government committee".
More Con
A banker who became leader of the National Party and is now a Professor, has set out various things that New Zealand should do to increase the wages of workers. His proposals include "Congestion charging should be introduced to Auckland and other city centres".
AGW
Californian voters rejected by 6 to 4, a proposition that would largely have suspended the anti CO2 law - "California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006" - Reuters - "California climate law survives challenge at polls".
It could be that the Californians knew what they were doing, but maybe they were suckered by the title given to the proposition - "Suspends Implementation of Air Pollution Control Law ......". Given that they were voting for "pollution", it is surprising that nearly 40 per cent said yes..
Tuesday 2 November 2010
Government say that robbing drivers is a "good compromise"
Kent Online - "Crossing toll hike is 'a good compromise'".
Yorkshire scores another first - Motorists paying tolls in the 18th century!
Culture24 - "Crumbling 18th century Yorkshire checkpoint saved in "fantastic" Natural England rebuild".
More on Euro tolls
EurActiv - "EU's new transport strategy to put price on pollution".
Bit more on Rock and tolls
Gibraltar Chronicle - "UK Obtains Spanish Assurances, Says Minister For Europe".
No tolls on what?
Two weeks ago a new Coalition Government was formed in the Netherlands. It is not clear what they will do about the plans for mileage based tolls on all vehicles on all roads, but there is this - Dutch News - "No tolls on existing roads, says minister".
A longer toll future
Sun - "M2 toll stays until 2046".
UK time disease
Independent - "The dark nights return" Independent - "We don't need an extra hour of darkness" BBC - "'Time for change' call as clocks alter in UK" Sun - "Time to save the planet?".
Ever year at this time we have the usual mix of journalists, MPs and Greens demanding that we have Summer Time in the winter, sometimes they also demand that we have double Summer Time in the Summer.
This mania only seems to apply in Britain, and is presumably due to the ignorance of those who suggest it.
Time zones around the world are based on longitude, with each zone 15 degrees wide and the base line running through Greenwich. The zone which should be at GMT plus zero, runs from 7°30' west of Greenwich to 7°30' east. For various reasons, some countries do not use the time that would apply using the normal system. The countries that ignore the standard system include France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain (who went off GMT during the Second World War), these all add an extra hour onto GMT.
The practice of adding an extra hour to the clock in the summer is not universal. It would make no sense near the equator to have different times between summer and winter, and the daylight savings system is mainly used in Europe and North America, with about the only exception being Iceland.
If those demanding a change ever got their way, then people's natural rhythms might gradually dominate and shops that say opened from 9AM to 6PM, would instead be open from 10 to 7. Would we then get demand to add two hours to GMT to try and get us out of bed?.
Monday 1 November 2010
Bus boss backs Con
Evening Express - "Aberdeen bus boss backs congestion charging".
Experiment?
Inside Costa Rica - "Caldera Was An "Experiment" Says Former MOPT Minister".
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