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OCTOBER 2009 NEWS

Ice News - "Road tolls debated in Iceland".

Trolls fight on

At the end of the week, the new Japanese PM told Parliament that he would resign if the new government failed to honour its election pledges including the removal of tolls - Mainichi Daily News - "Rough start for Hatoyama in Diet Q&A sessions"   Japan Times - "Mr. Hatoyama states his politics". Brave words particularly as the trolls and right wing will do anything to stop him - Mainichi Daily News - "Putting the ETC system to better use on roads".

More tolls touting from RAC Foundation and Lib Dems

Times - "50 years on, M1 highway to heaven is going nowhere".

Another contribution from Britain's black economy

BBC - "Britain 'losing billions in VAT'".
The eighteen billion pounds of VAT that is evaded is more than twice what Britain spends each year on the roads.

Warning to scientists

BBC - "Sacked adviser criticises Brown". Two of the most dangerous drugs in Britain are tobacco and alcohol. Politicians from all parties have over the last 50 years been extremely tardy in taking any action. Some of the politicians will have been rewarded for their delaying tactics. Others will not have received money but sat on their hands to protect workers in those industries and in the advertising industry. Governments also delayed action because premature deaths from smoking saved considerable amounts in state funded pensions. Compared with the millions that the politicians have allowed to die, the effect of some illegal drugs is almost nothing. But by sacking the messenger, the Government is also giving a warning to those scientists who may be wobbling in their support for Global Warming.


Friday 30 October 2009

More on Government response to Transport Cttee report on Taxes and charges on road users

Local Gov - "Government rejects calls to relax local road charging rules".

Scottish toll king having a go south of the border

Journal Live - "MP's advised North motorists should fund Manchester upgrades".

Report on Weather Action deniers day

Register - "Climate Fools Day rallies the heretics".

Trolls with new way to make money out of nothing

Sydney Morning Herald - "Macquarie finds new ways to gouge MIG".
Update Sydney Morning Herald - "Dismantling the MIG machine ".

Dartford toll delays

News Shopper - "DARTFORD CROSSING: Average journey time 10 minutes says government".

Toll future

The Oil Drum - "The Future of European Transport: iTREN-2030".

More on Humber tolls

Scunthorpe Telegraph - "Campaigner hopeful of bridge toll change"   Grimsby Telegraph - "Tories 'will review bridge tolls debate'".
The shadow Transport Secretary gives the impression that the Tories may do something about tolls, but though local Tories oppose the tolls, all the signs are that if the Tories win the next election their national policy will be more tolls not less.

No congestion tolls, for now

Thanhnien News - "HCMC road toll plan ‘not practical’: transport minister".

Weather Action reveals a little more about its forecasting technique while Europe burns more money

Register - "Renegade weatherman drops his kimono"   BBC - "EU seeks to resolve climate rift".

More house price inflation

According to the Nationwide house prices have gone up nearly seven percent over last six months (April index 302, October 322), though they put a different spin on it - BBC - "House prices higher than year ago"   Nationwide - "House prices rise at slower rate in October" pdf.


Thursday 29 October 2009

USA Roundup

Sundry - Wyoming - "Governor says I-80 is a federal responsibility".
Pennsylvania - "Trolling for tolling"   Pennsylvania - "Interstate 80 toll plan is back again"   Maryland - "District 21 members seek lower ICC tolls for residents"   Maryland - "Public Hearing Held on Maryland's ICC" video   Maryland - "Toll haters stewing in silence?"   Virginia - "Toll offset could hurt projects, official says"   Virginia - "Astounded by Rafael Lopez" letter   Texas - "Toll road plan survives MPO vote".

More on Humber tolls

Grimsby Telegraph - "Bridge board back Telegraph campaign"   Scunthorpe Telegraph - "Tory government would review toll"   Scunthorpe Telegraph - "Bridge board backs toll campaign".

Dartford in Parliament
Over the last few weeks some MPs have been taking up the issue of the Dartford tolls in Parliament. Unfortunately there is no chance of the Government telling the truth - the tolls have almost no effect on demand, they only reduce the capacity of the crossing. Here are some of the items from Hansard -

David Amess asked - ".. whether the commitments originally given by the noble Baroness Chalker will be honoured when the Government sell off the Dartford river crossing toll bridge." The answer on 22 October was - "The pressures on the crossing are well known and the Government are committed to finding a solution to meeting the capacity needs of Dartford."

Oil enigma

On Tuesday, BP announced that profits had halved (it had been forecast to be worse), today Shell announced that profits were down 70% - BBC - "Shell profits show sharp decline". As pump prices are at record levels, where is all the money going?


Wednesday 28 October 2009

USA Roundup - some later stories

Maryland - "SHA avoids the T word in 270 reply"   Maryland - "Yes or No to ICC Toll, Hearings Start Today"   New Jersey - "Sign of recovery? Tolls up on N.J. roads".

It seems that they have found some Australians who don't want tolls

Herald Sun - "Road charges take their toll - Melbourne motorists hate tolls - even more than people in other big cities".

Freedom to lie about Dartford tolls

Bexley Times - "The truth behind the toll".

USA Roundup

Sundry - Maryland - "Pros and cons of the Intercounty Connector"   Illinois - "Toll road backed to help ease congestion on Illinois 120"   Washington State - "Narrows Bridge Committee Begins Toll-Setting Process".

More on Humber tolls

Scunthorpe Telegraph - "Humber Bridge Board drops bid to unfreeze tolls".
Scunthorpe Telegraph - "Minister 'not ruling out' bridge toll case".
The FTA ask about the Severn tolls - HGVUK - "FTA points to lack of consistency"   FTA - "Lack of bridge toll consistency unfair on Anglo-Welsh crossings".

Anti-driver Jamboree

Singapore has been hosting the "Second World Roads Conference". The main sponsor is Big Blue and topics incude "Traffic Demand Management".   Straits Times - "Will pay more for fast rides".

Eager for tolls

Jakarta Post - "Bogor residents looking ahead to new toll road".

Australia to be flooded

No, its not the increasing population crowding into relatively small congested areas, it is our old friend global warming - BBC - "Australia coastal living at risk".


Tuesday 27 October 2009

Humber tolls dole

BBC - "No bridge toll rise for 18 months"   Grimsby Telegraph - "Humber Bridge gets £6-million bail-out".

Government response to Transport Cttee report on Taxes and charges on road users

Transport Cttee - "Taxes and charges on road users: Government response to the Committee's Sixth Report of Session 2008–09" pdf. The Government repeat their support for congestion charging and road pricing. But they say that national road pricing would not be implemented in the lifetime of the next Parliament. Most people were in favour of scrapping vehicle excise duty, but the Government want to keep and increase it; as using their reverse logic they say that VED is more effective than fuel duty in reducing CO2 emissions.

USA Roundup

Sundry - Massachusetts - "Pike Board member Connaughton calls for 'substantial' workforce cuts".
Illinois - "It's not taxing, it's tolling"   Land Line Mag - "Wyoming legislative panel backs I-80 toll plan"   Florida - "Osceola County May Add New Tolls To Roads" video.

Japanese puzzle

The new Japanese Government promised to remove the tolls, so it is odd that a Xmas discount has been announced - Reuters - "Japan extends highway toll discounts to New Year".
It is also odd that the reimbursement of tolls for US service personnel is being questioned - Stars & Stripes - "Japan to discuss free toll passes".

More on - Double your money and take it way

Newbury Today - "Campaigners demonstrate as bridge toll rises"   BBC - "Campaign starts on toll increase".

Con-undrum

Following yesterday's "Con-undrum" story about the apparent inefficacy of the tolls, it is reported that some are to be increased - Cars Singapore - "Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) to increase by a huge margin".

Trolls scare tactic

Sydney Morning Herald - "Congestion the toll for a free road"   Western Weekender - "Mayhem awaits"   Brisbane Times - "M4 to be clogged by 'extra 2,000' cars"   ABC - "No tolls, more traffic on M4"   Sydney Morning Herald - "M4 to grind to halt when toll removed: report"   The Motor Report - "2000 More Cars Each Hour For Sydney's M4 When Tolls Go".

More on Humber tolls delegation

Hull Daily Mail - "No toll rises for 18 months after grant"   Scunthorpe Telegraph - "Transport minister accepts toll petition"   Hull Daily Mail - "Toll abolition 'not ruled out'"   Hull Daily Mail - "Minister handed bridge tolls petition".


Monday 26 October 2009

Humber tolls update

Scunthorpe Telegraph - "Humber Bridge tolls meeting with Minister is hailed a success"   Scunthorpe Telegraph - "Talks over the Humber Bridge toll get underway".

Land of tolls

Hindu Business Line - "For whom does the Government toll?".

One that got away

CBC - "1st traffic rush hits Pitt River Bridge".

More of the usual from the Government and the Beeb

BBC - "Climate map shows human impacts".

USA Roundup

Sundry - Maryland - "People living near ICC ask for toll discount".
"Maine at Work: Life in the fast lane"   Pennsylvania - "Rendell Thinks Feds Will Give in on Tolls on Interstate 80"   "Cashless Florida's Turnpike looms"   DC / Virginia - "Traveling Through — Higher fees ahead on Dulles Toll Road"   Maryland - "Itching to talk about the ICC? 2 hearings ahead this week"   Wyoming - "Lawmakers step toward I-80 tolls".

A (Carbon) Free Europe

New Europe - "Tajani Goes Green - DG level working group to coordinate work on decarbonising".

Request for tolls move

Moonee Valley Leader - "Relocate toll point - council".

Humber tolls petition

Scunthorpe Telegraph - "Bridge delegation on its way to London"   Yorkshire Post - "Anti-toll delegation buoyed by Minister's ban on increase"   BBC - "Group to push for £1 bridge toll"   Scunthorpe Telegraph - "Mail readers' toll petition delivered".

Threat to drivers

Daily Express - "Eco Tax Will Cost Us Billions". Why does the Express not tell its readers about Tory plans to also milk drivers?

Con-undrum

Asia One - "Less people taking public transport". A strange result from a policy of the most comprehensive road toll system in the world and the rationing of cars.

Plea for more tolls

Metro News (Halifax) - "Transit report recommends hiking costs for drivers".

Businesses support Con charges

Australian Transport News - "Business joins call for GPS truck charging".

Fat Cats get fatter

BBC - "FTSE bosses 'get big salary rise'". In practice, shareholders have no say in the pay of directors. Company remuneration committees are made up of directors who usually also hold senior positions in other companies, and so have a vested interest in a game of leap frogging pay and benefit rises.

More global warming hype

BBC - "'Freezer plan' bid to save coral".
Corals have a symbiotic relationship with "zooxanthellae" which supplies food and oxygen to the coral. The zooxanthellae in turn relies on that well known poison - CO2.
The Science establishment are running a poll on whether, like them, you believe in all this global warming "science" - "PROVE IT!". Though the final result of the vote may be less reliable and less indepenent than even the Afghani presidential election.


Saturday 24 October 2009

USA Roundup

Sundry - Wyoming - "Committee backs tolling authority for I-80"   Michigan - "Tolls could provide funds"   "Gas tax, miles-driven fee considered for Nebraska highway funding"   Maryland - "Hearings next week on ICC tolls".

Humber tolls delegation

Scunthorpe Telegraph - "Group taking tolls fight to ministers".

Resistance

The new Japanese Government is still facing resistance to its plan to scrap tolls. Another story today reports that the Government has been reimbursing the US military for tolls that they pay up to the tune of 900 million yen (ten million dollars) a year.

Royals back bankers' bonuses

BBC - "Banker bonuses minute, says duke".
Despite the recession this year's bonuses are estimated as six billion pounds. Small beer if your mother has a dozen palaces, a few Leonardos and also happens to be head of both state and church.


Friday 23 October 2009

Reaction to - Tolls for all

BC Local - "Bridge tolls not the answer, mayor says".

USA Roundup

Sundry - Maryland / Virginia - "Span nearing a crossroads"   Idaho - "Gasoline tax fades as solution to highway funding "   Maine - "Forum on York tolls slated"   Indiana / Kentucky - "Bi-state bridges authority approved by Ky. transportation panel".
Pennsylvania - "FHWA administrator sheds light on I-80 toll issue"   Texas - "Houston METRO Selects TransCore to Implement High Occupancy Vehicle Improvement Program: Will be Nation`s Largest High Occupancy/Tolling (HOT) System"   Utah - "Congestion pricing takes a new twist with technology in I-15 HOV lane"   New York - "Candidates think train has left the station on traffic pricing".

Revenge?

London Daily News - "Payback time - Did US Embassy debts result in costly listing decision?".

Bad for who?

BBC - "Record recession for UK economy"   ONS - "Gross domestic product preliminary estimate 3rd Quarter 2009".
The cumulative falls in GDP puts Britain back to about where it was four years ago. GDP measures activity, not whether people are better off. If the Government were to employ people to smash windows it would increase GDP, and if it employed people to repair them, then again GDP would go up.
One strange effect of this recession is that most of those with large debts are better off than they were because interest rates are virtually zero. So they may be hoping that the recession continues!

"Promise" that one toll will end

Brisbane Times - "M4 toll will be abolished: Rees"   ABC - "Keep plan to scrap M4 tolls: councils".

Unions & bosses oppose Humber tolls

Scunthorpe Telegraph - "High-profile backing for bridge toll cut".


Thursday 22 October 2009

USA Roundup

Sundry - Washington State - "Bridge tolls dominate Vancouver election "   New York - "Islanders’ break on bridge toll challenged"   New York- "Court decision may impact V-N toll discount for Staten Islanders".
Texas - "Vacant toll booths may turn into retail shops"   California - "Poor economy takes toll on tollway"   Maryland - "Residents argue ICC tolls too expensive for daily driving"   Colorado - "E-470 officials want to avoid certified-mail cost on bills"   Georgia - "Port Road Eyed for Toll Project"   "North Texas Tollway Authority's higher rates not taking big toll on traffic".
Washington State - "Who's More Ga Ga for Tolls: O'Brien or Rosencrantz?"   DC - "Charges To Double On Dulles Toll Road" video  Washington State - "Hit Mailer Tells It Like It Is: O'Brien Goes Ga Ga for Tolls" video.

More toll touting

Sydney Morning Herald - "Charge for road use, Rees urged".

More on Dartford tolls

Yellow Ad - "Crossing is taking its toll".

Bit more on the "Borisken"

Guardian - "Boris Johnson: Evening Standard strikes again".

Tories reveal a bit more of their tolls plans

New Civil Engineer - "Tolls and private cash to fund infrastructure under Tories".

Vietnam considers how to cover the cost of roads

Vietnam News - "Road upkeep tax looms closer".

M6 Toll traffic bottoming out

The annual moving average of daily traffic on the M6Toll reached a new low (38,688) in the third quarter of 2009, but the decline seems to be bottoming off. For more detail see - Our M6 Toll traffic page. The company is forecasting that traffic will grow as the Highways Agency undertakes "construction activity on the main alternative".

Paying the bill but getting nothing back

BBC - "Call to end middle class benefits".

Bit more on population growth

Daily Mail - "Crowded Britain heading for 70m as migration causes population to rise faster than ever before".


Wednesday 21 October 2009

USA Roundup

Sundry - DC - "Dulles toll hike gains approval in two airport committees"   Texas - "NTTA projects big revenue increase, thanks mostly to higher rates".
DC - "Dulles Toll Road rate hike likely to advance"   Florida - "New Interstate 95 toll lanes to open mid-January" some comments   Washington State - "Rosencrantz withdraws criticism on tolling because -- oops -- he agrees"   North Carolina - "State spending $1 million to study potential Garden Parkway toll revenue".

More deception

BBC - "UK population 'to rise to 71.6m'"   Telegraph - "Britain's population to hit 70 million by 2029".
The deception is in the claim that "two-thirds of the increase is likely to be related directly or indirectly to migration to the UK". This claim seems to ignore births to immigrants who are already here or their children, if these were included then probably all of the increase would be due to the effects of migration. The deception does not appear in the ONS press release - "National Projections UK population to exceed 65m by 2018", but the ONS collaborates with the political deception by not publishing more detailed figures.

The Bank of Inflation speaks

published today - "Minutes Of The Monetary Policy Committee Meeting 7 And 8 October 2009" pdf   Speech yesterday by Mervyn King to Scottish business organisations in Edinburgh in which he says that banks should be split - pdf   30 Sep - "Money, Banks and Quantitative Easing"   24 Sep - "Separating Fact from Fiction: Household Balance Sheets and the Economic Outlook".

The "Borisken"

Evening Standard - "Strange but true: is Boris just the new Ken?".

The Government continues to lie about the effect of Dartford tolls

Evening Standard - "£40m delays at Dartford crossing".

Tolls for all

BC Local - "‘Slap tolls on all bridges'"   BC Local - "News Views: Tolling all bridges".

Not by bread alone

Establishment's science group, the Royal Society, says that more money should be spent on research into improving crop yields to cope with the growing population - BBC - "UK urged to lead on future food"   Royal Society - link to report etc.
What about the effect of population growth on limited fishing stocks, availability of water, cost of housing, scarcity of fuel and some minerals, overcrowding, pollution, waste disposal, spread of disease, crime, war?


Tuesday 20 October 2009

USA Roundup

Sundry - Maryland - "Will ICC give tolls a bad name?"   Pennsylvania - "Study backs local opposition to I-80 tolls "   New Jersey - "My near-and-dear cause is fixing transportation in N.J.".

Toll bridge short, of cash

Telegraph Journal - "Bridge facing big troubles".

Drivers given extra time to pay to reduce queues for toll payment

NZ Herald - "Motorists get more time to pay road toll".

More on Con future, or not; and two wheels make you one of the pc elite

Guardian - "Boris Johnson: hope and congestion"   Guardian - "Motorists will turn on me over cycling policies, claims Boris Johnson".
PS An American view - newspaper.com - "London Mayor Backtracks on Congestion Tax".

Complaint over bed time fairy tale

Sky - "Outrage Over 'Drowning Pets' Climate Advert "   Telegraph (on 12th) - "Government's £6 million 'Bedtime Story' climate change ad: most pernicious waste of taxpayers' money ever?".
The related Government propaganda site - Act on CO2.
PS Register - "West Antarctic ice loss overestimated by NASA sats". What is not readily clear from this story is that not only may western Antarctic ice melting have been exaggerated, but in the eastern Antarctic it seems to be getting colder. Also, whatever the effect of manmade CO2 is, no one knows which direction the current glacial minima is heading - an early end to the current Ice Age or a glacial maxima (where Britain will be buried under glaciers).

More roads please

BBC - "Drivers 'losing out' to railways".

Touting tolls in Toronto

Star - "Tolls might jolt drivers into reality".

"Ei" to Con

Newsroom Finland - "Finnish capital region councils shun congestion charge".

Another Irish toll

Irish Times - "€500m Waterford city bypass opens".

Stoking up inflation

The latest figures show that money supply has increased by 11.3% over the last 12 months, though the trend is down - BofE - "Provisional estimates of broad money (M4) and credit (M4 lending) September 2009". The money being pumped out by the central bank has to a large extent gone to fill in the massive hole in the books of the other banks, but it is partly reflected in the latest housing mortgage figures - BBC - "Summer lift in mortgage lending". The Government, of course, is a little short of readies - BBC - "Record in public sector borrowing"   ONS - "Public Sector September: £11.3bn current budget deficit".


Monday 19 October 2009

USA Roundup

Sundry - Maryland - "Public to Weigh in on Proposed ICC Tolls"   Maryland - "High ICC tolls show how expensive new freeways are"   North Carolina - "N.C. nears deal for toll bridge to northern OBX"   Louisiana - "Grand Isle bridge toll exemption could have far-reaching consequences".
Virginia - "HOT lanes are not wanted, not the answer"   Pennsylvania - "Don't toll, cut"   Virginia - "Shortcut to paradise: Toll bridge to the Outer Banks"   North Carolina- "Crossroads - Tolls on table for Skyway project".

Double your money and take it way

Henley Standard - "Bridge company wins fight to double toll for drivers".
In theory tolls are supposed to be tightly controlled, in practice the Government will rubber stamp alamost any increase - Toll Freeze.

Residents say no to Con

Henley Standard - "Villagers reject £275m transport scheme".

Down Dominica way

Dominica Today - "Ethics chief calls Dominican East highway a grand swindle".

Shattering news

BBC - "Cosmic pattern to UK tree growth".
The "Central England Temperature" record which goes back 350 years is one of the main sources of "data" for Global Warming preachers who have argued that periods of higher growth were due to higher temperatures which were in turn due to higher CO2 levels. That theory already contained a chicken and egg flaw (as seas which are warmer for any reason are not able to absorb as much CO2 and thus cause an increase of CO2 in the atmosphere. There was also the question as to how much tree ring growth was affected by changes in cloud (water vapour) or changes (for various reasons) in level of CO2 (breathed in by plants) rather than the assumed increase in temperature. Perhaps one day the scientists will admit that they are working in the dark.

Humber tolls petition

Scunthorpe Telegraph - "Heat still on after bridge toll freeze".

Denial of a Reading con

Newbury Today - "Reading councillors refute recent claims that they have decided upon congestion charges and zones".

Toll takeover

Malaysian Insider - "Can Asas Serba pull off proposal?".

PM promises the ten plagues of Egypt

BBC - "PM warns of climate 'catastrophe'".


Sunday 18 October 2009

USA Roundup

Sundry - Maryland - "Proposed ICC tolls among highest in country"   Minnesota - "Carpool lane on 35W makes life a bit faster for commuters"   Oregon / Washington State - "Put debate over bridge tolls in perspective"   Virginia - "Deeds: Toll fix to road woes?".
Virginia - "Poll: Fix roads, but don't raise taxes"   Maryland - "Public Invited To Meetings On ICC Tolls"   Massachusetts - "Legislature’s toll".

Bit more on Dartford Crossing for sale

Kent News - "Drivers 'face price hikes' when crossing is sold".

Bargain

It is reported that if the Japanese Government honours the promise to abolish tolls it will cost 600 billion yen. Sounds a lot, but it converts to four billion pounds or less than seven billion dollars. The British Government sucks fifty billion pounds a year from drivers.

A Tale of Two Kens

Sydney Morning Herald - "Donations just the start" second half of page.

Tolls lead the way

news.com - "Sydney road tolls rising faster than inflation".

Who would buy?

BBC - "Tories 'may sell off Met Office'".

More of the usual on the BBC including the heir to the throne saving the world

BBC - "UK looks to break climate logjam"   BBC - "A brief history of climate change".
Here is a sceptical view as to how significant man made CO2 is in possibly increasing temperature - Image Measurement and Analysis Lab - "Cold Facts on Global Warming".


Friday 16 October 2009

USA Roundup

Sundry - "Arizona making way for creation of private toll roads"   New York - "Wanted: Crowd-Sourced Transportation Analysis"   Maryland - "‘Lexus Lanes' take toll"   Pennsylvania - "OPINION: Tolling Interstate 80 wrong remedy for transportation funding"   California - "Price gouging?".

No Humber tolls is better than some

Hull Daily Mail - "'Freeze is good, but axing tolls is better'".

Bit more on Dartford Crossing for sale

This is Local London - "Dartford Crossing: Sale triggers fears third crossing may not happen".
The sale of Dartford will have no direct effect on whether a new crossing will be built. Indirectly it is difficult to predict what the effect of likely increases in tolls will be.

More on proposals for Con tolls

Courier Mail - "Congestion tax debate timely for southeast Queensland"   Courier Mail - "Brisbane traffic congestion tax slammed by Campbell Newman"   Brisbane Times - "Congestion tax 'not viable' in Brisbane"   ABC - "Politicans put brakes on choke charge".
ABC - "Stanhope open to congestion tax"   Brisbane Times - "Free routes needed if congestion tax to work: expert"   ABC - "Motoring groups rev Henry over congestion tax".

Refund plea

Thanhnien News - "Transporters in southern hub request incorrect tolls be returned".

Bit more on Con changes

Handy Shipping Guide - "Freight Transport Association Backs Boris Despite Toll Increase For London".

Money going up in smoke

BBC - "Carbon capture plant backed by EU".


Thursday 15 October 2009

USA Roundup

Sundry - DC - "Leaders to discuss tolls on 'free' highways"   Louisiana - "Leeville bridge-toll disagreement heats up"   California - "Lower Retrofit Costs Won't Keep Bridge Tolls from Going Up" audio   Virginia - "Holding Pattern - City attorney recommends no action on HOT lanes lawsuit for now".
California - "Toll authority weighs higher bridge fees"   California - "Bridge operators consider raising tolls in Bay Area"   Florida - "Ready for toll lanes on I-4?"   Pennsylvania - "I-80 tolling a bad idea Rail potential could ease I-81 congestion"   California - "Riverside County toll lane decisions proceed with caution".

More on Dartford Crossing for sale

Kent News - "Dartford Crossing sale is a bridge too far" inc comment from Nigel Farage   Yellow Advertiser - (Labour) "MP backs sale of Dartford Crossing".

More on Humber Toll discussions

Hull Daily Mail - "Bridge Tolls Freeze For 18 Months"   Yorkshire Post - "Humber Bridge tolls may be frozen in spite of worsening debt problem".

Proposal to replace fuel tax with more tolls

Australians are such suckers for tolls that they will probably think this is a good idea, providing they double the charges every other year - The Age - "Call for tax to ease road congestion"   ABC - "Congestion tax on Henry's agenda"   The Australian - "Ken Henry floats congestion tax on CBD drivers".

Con increasing to Ten Pounds and other changes

There are also increases to passenger transport fares - Press Release - "C charge overhaul"   Evening Standard - "Huge bus and Tube fare rises plus £10 C-charge"   Mail - "So much for scrapping the congestion charge: Boris Johnson puts it up to £10 and raises Tube and bus fares"   East London Advertiser - "Boris under fire from passengers and traders over fares and tolls"   BBC - "London travel fares to increase"   Guardian - "Boris Johnson: transport breakdown" some comments   Mayor Watch - "Johnson announces bus fares to rise by 12.7%".

More hot air

BBC - "Arctic to be 'ice-free in summer'".
This story is even more incredible than the usual hype. In April it was reported that the expedition which had set out to measure the effects of increased Arctic temperatures had "encountered an unexpected wind chill as low as minus 70 degrees Celsius, and the technology failed".


Wednesday 14 October 2009

USA Roundup

Sundry - California - "Bridge operators discussing toll increases"   Texas - "Toll road project: worthy or not?".

Toll pushing from "Reform"

This supposed "charity" gives as examples of "good" schemes, the M6 Toll and congestion charging, and seems to be also in favour of nationwide road charging though it accepts that political support for this has "gone cold" - "Road to recovery".

Humber Toll discussions

BBC - "Bridge tolls 'set for 18 months'".

Bit more on Where are the Mayor and the TfL bosses driving London to?

Guardian - "Boris Johnson and the congestion charge: price hike and confusion"   Guardian - "Voters with motors put Boris in a jam" lot of comments   Guardian - "Boris Johnson: will he raise the congestion charge to £10?".

Some unofficial tolls in South Africa

News 24 - "Sakhile roads still blockaded".

More on Full meeting of Cambridgeshire County Council agreeing to submit Con plan

FT - "Cambridgeshire puts road charging back on track"   Cambridge News - "£500m transport cash bid approved"   BBC - "Congestion charge plan for city"   County Council new release - "Cambridgeshire Bid For Record Transport Investment".


Tuesday 13 October 2009

Full meeting of Cambridgeshire County Council agrees to submit Con plan

New Civil Engineer - "Cambridgeshire to bid for £500M TIF cash".

USA Roundup

Sundry - "NY's 'private' affair - State close to leasing out major public-works deals to investors"   West Virginia - "Turnpike should be Parkways’ only mission"..

More tolls

Daily Telegraph - "$22 in tolls daily for a crawl to the city"   The Age - "Transurban to focus on toll road upgrades"   Brisbane Times - "M2 toll goes up from … whatever"   Brisbane Times - "Toll rise to pay for M2 upgrades: govt".

More on Dartford Crossing for sale

News Shopper - "Sale could lead to higher tolls"   Thurrock Gazette - "Dartford Crossing to be sold"   Press release - "ABD Condemns Plan to Sell Dartford Crossing"   Handy Shipping Guide - "Eurotunnel And Dartford Link Scramble Begins In Transport Sell Off"   Times - "If only Gordon Brown was selling off the family silver".

Bit more on Where are the Mayor and the TfL bosses driving London to?

Evening Standard - "Boris Johnson must get this road charge right charging"   FT - "Wider London road-user charges denied".

ABD reaction to Climate Change Committee suggestion

press release - "Drivers Must Pay Up or the Planet Gets It".

More of Big Blue selling tolls and surveillance

Euractiv - "Cities turn to high-tech for curbing traffic, crime".

More nonsense

It is claimed that the value of the pound is falling because inflation is not higher - BBC - "Pound hit by falling UK inflation"   ONS - "Consumer prices September 2009".
This is a good example of the way truth is turned on its head by those who gain from high inflation and low interest rates. Whether foreigners will wish to hold sterling depends on many factors, one of which is the gain / loss in real terms in holding onto the currency after allowing for inflation, interest rates and of course whether for logical reasons or not the value of sterling is expected to go up or down. It also depends on what the alternatives are, i.e. which is the least bad alternative for an investor.


Monday 12 October 2009

A tale of two tolls

Brisbane Times - "Lane Cove tunnel on slow road to receivership"   Daily Telegraph (Sydney) - "Pay as you drive, slowly".
The main factor in whether a toll makes a profit is choice - is there a practical alternative to using the toll road?

USA Roundup

Sundry - Illinois - "Who, ME? A scofflaw?"   Massachusetts - "Mass. Turnpike Authority comes to end of the road"   Texas - "NTTA's late-fee collection has 'gotten out of hand,' state senator says"   Virginia - "Traffic: State's chronic problem" lot of comments   Rhode Island - "Is EZ-Pass infringing on people’s privacy?".

More on Stop and deliver

Pacific News Centre - "Guthertz Military Toll Bill Not A Good Idea" video.

Where are the Mayor and the TfL bosses driving London to?

Evening Standard - "London drivers face double whammy of ‘£1 a mile toll’ and congestion charge" lot of comments   BBC - "Mayor 'considers' road charging"   Daily Mail - "'£1 a mile toll' to drive in London: Boris Johnson plans new levy on top of C-charge on busiest roads"   Guardian - "Boris Johnson: further congestion charging "may be required"".
The con charge plans are in section 25 of chapter 5 of the strategy - Mayor's Transport stategy website.
PS Denial - London Informer - "No plans for extra congestion charge says City Hall"   Guardian - "Boris Johnson: big documents, big questions".

Some details of the Reading con

Reading Chronicle - "Leaked: C-charge zones shortlist".

A bit of the truth

Thanks to Chris for spotting this story, all but invisible on the BBC - "What happened to global warming?".
The long range forecast from Piers Corbyn of Weather Action is that the next twenty years are going to be cooler than average. Piers is regarded as an eccentric heretic by the weather establishment, but he seems to produce more accurate medium range forecasts.

Dartford Crossing for sale

Kent News - "Plans to sell Dartford crossing and CTRL unveiled"   BBC - "PM to unveil £16bn sale of assets".
This further demonstrates that it is a lie when the Government says that the purpose of the tolls is to prevent congestion. This rip off sale appears to be supported by the Tories and no doubt the Lib Dems.

More road tolls pushing

Reuters - "UK climate body urges govt to step up emissions cuts"   Daily Mail - "Drivers should be forced to pay per mile to save the planet, finds climate watchdog"   Daily Telegraph - "Road pricing 'should be used to help meet carbon targets'"   BBC - "UK 'needs step change' on climate"   Times - "Tax motorists more to help save the planet, Government is urged"   Committee on Climate Change - "Meeting Carbon Budgets - the need for a step change - Progress report to Parliament - 12 October 2009".
The Committee recommends (page 27) "that the Government should seriously consider road pricing". Their detailed transport musings are in chapter 6 (page 189) and include (page 222) "From a purely economic perspective .. there is a stronger case now for introducing road pricing rather than increasing fuel duty". The claimed reason for tolls rather than fuel duty is that they want to also reduce congestion. The Committee also want a masive increase in electric cars, though their ultimate source of fuel must be carbon and they make no difference to congestion.
The real reason why these groups come up with such daft recommendations is that the aim is to benefit the rich and a few companies at the expense of the many.

German Tories pushing tolls for cars

Forexyard - "German coalition may agree motorway tolls -lawmaker".

More CO2 hype

BBC - "'Scary' climate message from past". The really scary thing is that so many scientists feed the news media with these misleading reports.


Saturday 10 October 2009

Humber petition

Scunthorpe Telegraph - "Our tolls petition to be handed to MPs".

USA Roundup

Sundry - "The end of Trans Texas Corridor fuels Hutchison's fire"   Oregon - "Regional bypass to return as private toll road?".


Friday 9 October 2009

Bit more on Fast way though tolls

Inside Costa Rica - "Bomberos File Appeal Demanding Emergency Lane At Escazú Tool Station".

Another road toll push

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport news release - "How do we pay for vital trunk road expansion?"   CILT - "Britain’s Inter-urban Road Network: Problems and Options" pdf.

USA Roundup

Sundry - Arizona - "Munger calls for big tax cuts, toll roads".

Stop and deliver

Pacific News Centre - "Guthertz Proposes Tolls Outside Military Bases "Until All Amounts Due" The People Of Guam Have Been Paid"   Pacific Daily News - "Guthertz proposes toll: Bill in response to war claims rejection".

Manchester traffic down

Manchester Evening News - "Rush-hour traffic falls as recession bites".

Looking into abyss

BBC - "Fear of 'huge' energy bill rises"   OFGEM - "Project Discovery Energy Market Scenarios" pdf.
It is obvious that the price of gas and other fuels will increase - there is a finite supply and the Bank of England is doing its best to devalue the pound so the cost of imports will be higher. Most "green" measures will increase costs. Prices will also rise as the world and Britain have a rapidly increasing population and thus energy demand, though in this 100 page report there is not even a whisper about this.


Thursday 8 October 2009

Inflation push continues

FT - "Bank of England holds rates at 0.5%"   BBC - "Low rates 'help 100,000 a month'"   BofE News Release - "Bank of England Maintains Bank Rate at 0.5% and continues with £175 Billion Asset Purchase Programme".

Sobbin', wailin' and 'nashing of teeth

Mayor Watch - "Call for C-charge dodging Governments to explain themselves to Londoners".

USA Roundup

Sundry - Missouri - "Should speeders pay more on the KS Turnpike?"   Oregon / Washington State - "Columbia River Crossing: moving forward "   Land Line Mag - "Report: I-80 tolls would hurt Pennsylvania economy"   Virginia - "Pr. William declines to join anti-HOT lanes lawsuit".

Tories would do nothing to ease Britain's highest tolls

Scunthorpe Telegraph - "Anger at Tories' Humber Bridge toll policy".

Possible Con on York

Yorkshire Post - "Yorkshire motorists face threat of road tolls".

Oil - a real problem

BBC - "Warning over global oil 'decline'"   Telegraph - "Era of cheap, easy oil is over, warns study"   UK Energy Reseach Centre - link to report etc.
Oil is not homogenous, in that some oil can be extracted cheaply, and at the other extreme there is a lot that could only be extracted at a cost that will always be too high. There are possible alternatives to oil, but in the meantime we are doing two things that will mean that the problems will hit us sooner - we have too many people and we are wasting oil by using it as fuel for power plants rather than using alternatives such as more coal.


Wednesday 7 October 2009

More e-tolls fun

From the Province (Vancouver) - "ICBC rules roost when it comes to licence renewal"   "Golden Ears Bridge toll insult has victim of car theft seeing red".

USA Roundup

Sundry - California - "Carpool lane on Solano I-80 westbound opens"   Maryland - "Thanks for the ‘Concierge Parkway'" letter   Pennsylvania - "Author defends Act 44"   Texas - "Debate on West Parkway toll-road project continues"   Virginia - "Another bridge, another decision".

Pest toll

Caboodle - "Budapest council mulls congestion charge".

Mirage

Birmingham Post - "Cameron hints cities will get green light on transport schemes". The chances of a Tory Government giving two billion pounds without strings to local councils for transport schemes are thinner than the hairs on William Hague's pate.

Another report on new tolls near Athens

Kathimerini - "Further toll action in offing".

A bad sign

BBC - "Gold price rises to all-time high".


Tuesday 6 October 2009

USA Roundup

Sundry - North Carolina - "Coalition pushes for per-mile tax on drivers"   New Jersey / Pennsylvania - "When bridge gates go, you'll go faster"   Virginia - "Prince William Could Join HOT Lanes Lawsuit" video   Virginia - "Prince William may join lawsuit over HOT lanes".

EU Comissioner says that European Electronic Toll Service is "the most important improvement for drivers since the abolition of border controls"

Gov Monitor - "Europe to Launch Electronic Toll Service".

ABD say "no thanks"

press release - "Drivers Group Calls on David Cameron to Rule Out Road Pricing".

More e-tolls fun

Star (Toronto) - "Highway robbery? Fixer gets a mystery 407 bill".

The ancient toll racket

Phnom Penh Post - "Villagers protest ‘tolls’".

Bit more on Cambridgeshire Cabinet approving Con plan

Cambridge News - "'Once-in-a-generation chance to curb jams'".

New Zealand AA love tolls

Voxy - "AA Responds To Northern Gateway Toll Road Report".
NZTA - Report to June (just published) pdf   Bay of Plenty Times - "Downturn sees city's Route K hit by $2.8 million losses".

It might not work, but it will hurt

BBC - "Osborne unveils pay and tax plans".

More signs that Britain is returning to high consumer spending, inflated house prices and producing little

BBC - "More signs of house price rises"   BBC - "Strong increase in new car sales"   BBC - "Shock fall in industrial output".
One sign of the consumer society is that though car sales were up over 11% in September compared with a year ago, the sales of vans and trucks were down 18% - SMMT - "September van & truck sales".

More hype

BBC - "Downturn is 'climate opportunity'".
As usual the Met Office say that the previous month was warmer than average - "September 2009".


Monday 5 October 2009

More warnings from the Tories

The Shadow Transport Secretary at a fringe party meeting in Manchester when asked about Tory spending plans has said - "individual (road pricings) schemes could work to fund particular projects ... congestion charging could be something we could use with lorries ... Local schemes could use future toll revenue to relieve local problems such as a new road or bridge, and we would look at this favourably" - New Civil Engineer - "Villiers - transport budget to focus on 'sustainable' solutions".

Rare headline

BBC - "Congestion cut thanks to new road".

"No", but why?

Henley Standard - "Residents say no to third crossing".

More hype

BBC - "Climate change risk to UK maples".

USA Roundup

Sundry - Minnesota - "Commuters are slow to use 35W's pay-to-play fast lane" lot of comments   Oregon / Washington State - "Realities of Tolls"   Oregon / Washington State - "Officials consider toll scenerios for I-5 bridge over Columbia River"   Virginia - "Candidates' paths diverge over paying for highways".

Fast way though tolls

Inside Costa Rica - "Emergency Vehicles Must Stop To Fill Out Form At Escazú Toll Booths" Spanish video.

What Tories think

Conservative Home have now published some of the results of their recent survey of two thousand party members - "The Biggest Ever Survey of the Tory Grassroots". People were given 20 choices for reducing Government debt through tax increases and spending cuts. "Privatisation of all major roads" was the second least popular choice (12% support) and "the introduction of road tolls" was the third least popular (19% support).

Latest on LEZ

Guardian - "Boris Johnson to reintroduce pollution zone a year after UK deadline".

New bridge coining it

Vancouver Sun - "Golden Ears Bridge a gold mine for TransLink".

Japanese beg Government to keep tolls

There are more reports claiming that the Japanese (or at least 70 per cent of them) want tolls to be kept. It is not revealed whether they also want hair shirts made compulsory. There is a separate story saying that almost all elected members of the new Government favour the removal of tolls; though it is a bit soon for them to abandon one of their main election pledges even if they believe the reports!


Saturday 3 October 2009

The Farce goes on

BBC - "Ireland backs EU's Lisbon Treaty".
The treaty still has to be fully ratified by the Czech Republic and Poland but it is touted as a done deal. Nick Clegg says that Europe can now turn to the top issue - climate change. But in the real world, today's vote makes no difference as the Union would have pressed till Ireland eventually voted the right way. As the Southern states found in 1861, some clubs do not allow exceptions to the rules and do not allow resignations.

More on European car clubs oppose the Con

Yesterday we had the opposition to the plan. Here, a bit late, is the plan - Europa - "Action Plan on Urban Mobility" press release   more details of "Action Plan on urban mobility".
It is far from clear what, if anything, the EU is recommending rather than more "research". The Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee linked to the plan seems to oppose the idea of tolls - "3.3.5.3. The Committee does, however, regard the general introduction of road pricing in urban areas as problematic because of (a) the high level of local opposition to this idea, (b) the attendant administrative costs, and (c) the danger that traffic will be transferred away from central urban areas to outside areas, thereby jeopardizing the viability of inner-city areas. Rather than levying charges on traffic flows into urban areas, the levying of charges on stationary traffic (management of parking areas) should be extended; Park and Ride schemes could also be introduced in this context. The research projects currently being carried out in this connection are expected to provide valuable indications for further debate." Unfortunately this is what they said ten years ago and there are numerous interests that are pressing for road tolls.

Tory rank and file don't want road tolls

Telegraph - "Tim Montgomerie: Cameron does not want the Lisbon Treaty passed before he takes power".

Bit more on possible Dartford tolls change

News Shopper - "Government considering 'one-way charging regime'".

New Junk

Reuters - "Mexico's ICA places $477 mln highway security". Investing in a road that you don't control is as mad as the secondary markets in housing mortgages.


Friday 2 October 2009

USA Roundup

Sundry - "Ohio Turnpike working out E-ZPass kinks "   Oregon / Washington State - "More toll scenarios for bridge discussed "   Arizona - "Learning to love toll roads"   California - "HOT lanes on Highway 101 in Marin to undergo study"   California - "Stop whining about toll lanes, says L.A. driver".

Dartford tolls may change

BBC - "One-way Dartford toll considered". If the aim is to reduce congestion then the answer is simple - remove the tolls BOTH ways.

European car clubs oppose the Con

Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile- "Congestion Charging Will Not Solve Traffic Problems in Cities". Oddly the AA and RAC who are toll fans are members of the FIA.

EGNOS

The EU is supplementing GALILEO with EGNOS which will give more exact positions for applications "like automatic road-tolling" - Europa - "Commission launches EGNOS Open Service - free access to citizens and businesses".
There are more details of EGNOS on the European Space Agency site which includes - "EGNOS can also be a good tool for Road Management. Examples include virtual tolling, Highway emergency alerts and so on. In fact, EGNOS together with Galileo is expected to be one of the key components of pan-European electronic road toll systems."

Inflation is working

BBC - "House prices 'back to 2008 level'".


Thursday 1 October 2009

Friendly Fire

BBC - "BAE Systems faces bribery charges".
Only in Britain would its largest manufacturer be prosecuted for allegedly using bribes to get export contracts. The defence firms in evey other country will be laughing.

Bit more on Cambridgeshire Cabinet approving Con plan

New Civil Engineer - "Cambridgeshire puts C-Charge at heart of £500M TIF cash bid".

New Nigerian tolls

All Africa - "Bi-Courtney, LCC Set to Ambush Lagos Motorists ".

USA Roundup

Sundry - "E-ZPass system implemented on Ohio Turnpike"   Oregon / Washington State - "Bridge takes toll on mayor’s race"   Minnesota - "New 35W commuter lanes flowing smoothly"   New Jersey - "Thousands of unpaid tolls land limo driver in hot water"   Texas - "Adkisson stumbled on proposal to dump tolls".

The RAC Foundation pushing tolls again

We don't know if they are following Red Ken or the far right but the RAC Foundation "charity" seem to prefer the old Mayor's ideas including road tolls but "Not just focused on the centre" but "a London-wide road charging scheme"   BBC - "Mayor's bendy bus plan criticised"   RAC Foundation - "Capital Chaos".
PS London Daily News - "Mayor hits back at RAC transport report".

Bit more on Meeting over Humber Bridge

BBC - "Meeting over bridge tolls future"   Scunthorpe Telegraph - "Talks over £1 bridge toll trial".

Empty gift parcel

BBC - "Free parking plan for in-patients"   Mirror - "NHS car park fees scrapped".
This story shows that politicians know what people want, it also shows that they will continue to soak drivers. This "promise" may never be honoured and even if it is, would only apply to a small proportion of those who park at hospitals. It would be interesting to know how much the NHS saves in ambulance costs compared with the times when few people had cars and many out patients were picked up. It would also be interesting to know why in a "National" Health service it is drivers from England who are soaked the most.

PM denies lower speed limits plan

10 Downing Street.

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