[Rictor]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4610755.stm

Drivers could pay up to £1.34 a mile in "pay-as-you go" road charges under new government plans.

The transport secretary said the charges, aimed at cutting congestion, would replace road tax and petrol duty.

Alistair Darling said change was needed if the UK was to avoid the possibility of "LA-style gridlock" within 20 years.

Every vehicle would have a black box to allow a satellite system to track their journey, with prices starting from as little as 2p per mile in rural areas.

Honestly, and I ask this with all due respect, what the hell is wrong with you British people? How is it that a government can even contemplate making it mandatory to install a GPS-tracked blackbox in each car? Hell, why not just go the whole distance and bust out the microchips?

[Fineus]

I figured this would be about recording the actions of the driver - what the car's doing and what's happening around it if there were a crash and what have you. It'd help discover who was responsible for any accidents.

But this is taking the piss. How exactly is anyone supposed to afford this on top of already high petrol prices? It is, quite frankly, a joke.

[Taristin]

By dropping the 'petrol duty' I assume gas prices would drop significantly, since the largest portion of the price is the tax. (atleast it certainly is in NY)

But either way, **** them. They're not putting a black box in any of my cars. (I know it's UK specific right now, but how long until te idea spreads? Gates already wants cars to run on windoez)

[pyro-manic]

It won't actually happen, but it's a horrible thought. The Shadow of Blunkett is still looming over the Home Office, it seems....

[Kie99]

I'm offering odds of 50/1 the system won't track your speed.

[MicroPsycho]

This has to be right up there with Ontario's 407 ETR...

[Janos]

Military-industrial conspiracy at the works, fight the man workers! god damnit

[Rictor]

Preach it brotha Janos!

[EtherShock]

Originally posted by Raa
By dropping the 'petrol duty' I assume gas prices would drop significantly, since the largest portion of the price is the tax. (atleast it certainly is in NY)

But either way, **** them. They're not putting a black box in any of my cars. (I know it's UK specific right now, but how long until te idea spreads? Gates already wants cars to run on windoez)

They already want to do this in California for the same reason.