2 quid to miss Birmingham... bargain.

Heh - I only ever get to see these ASCII 'gems' in proportional fonts (with
MS Outpuke) so didn't bother attempting to align the characters.
And I clean forgot some people can't let go of the past and are still using
those quaint old fixed-sized fonts. )

 

After Reims its beautiful.
I managed a constant speed of 120mph along that road.
With a few naughty blasts of 150+ when it was totally quiet.

 

I had assumed that was the joke...

 

We did this one a while ago - we reckon the toll should vary with the
speed you want to travel at.

 

How does it work for bikes then?

--
Alan

http://www.ads-training.co.uk
"Kneesliders Sponsored by Cane"
GSX-R1000 , Triumph Thunderbird, ZXR750L2 Racer(gone), GS500,
GHPOTHUF#27
TGF, UKRMFBC#7, Two#24, BOTAFOF#11, YTC#9, GYASB#1. SbS#23.
DFWAG#2, DS#2, DIAABTCOD#20. remove "thisbit" in the reply
http://sportsbike.org (our own endurance team) http://Team-ukrm.com
"Nemo repente fuit turpissimus"

 

That will be 5,632.68ukp please Mr champ. The mortgage advisor will be
along soon to discuss the next 26 miles.


--
Alan

http://www.ads-training.co.uk
"Kneesliders Sponsored by Cane"
GSX-R1000 , Triumph Thunderbird, ZXR750L2 Racer(gone), GS500,
GHPOTHUF#27
TGF, UKRMFBC#7, Two#24, BOTAFOF#11, YTC#9, GYASB#1. SbS#23.
DFWAG#2, DS#2, DIAABTCOD#20. remove "thisbit" in the reply
http://sportsbike.org (our own endurance team) http://Team-ukrm.com
"Nemo repente fuit turpissimus"

 

I stand by the argument that local businesses have used, which is that
while the M6 is fine for those people 'passing through' the area (and
who doesn't already use a different route?), the congestion is caused
by people moving in and around J4-10, ie around Birmingham [1].

To get to my Mum's I'd stay within that section of motorway, so I'll
still have to use the M6 (or take a longer, but possibly quicker(?)
detour). And rumour has it that they're about to close the M6 in Jan
to one lane to resurface round spaghetti junction. Hah! "Look how many
people are using our new toll road!"

People travelling into or out of the area via the links to the M6 Toll
in Lichfield, etc. might just find that their delays occur elsewhere
(like, the two ends of the toll road, for example). Only time will
tell. I liked the Friends of the Earth spokesman's comparison: "all
we're doing is moving the deckchairs around the Titanic."

We should have an integrated transport policy in this country: get
*everyone* off the roads, and leave them all free for bikes ;o)

 

Or if it were at least partly government-owned, the 'profits' could go
into helping make the M6 a better road.

But if the govt was involved more, there'd never be any profits... ;o(

[1] Heh, I mistyped that as Birmongham, seemed quite apt!.

 

<sigh>
I'm surprised more people weren't boothered with this thread. ...

 

On Tue, 09 Dec 2003 17:08:33 +0000, HooDooWitch <>
bored us all completely to death with wittery prose along the lines
of:

Probably wanted a change

 

It's a quid for bikes.

 

Jeremy wrote

Probably the clause in the small print that enables HMG to buy it at a
knock down price the day before the warranty runs out.

 

All the prices at the moment have a quid off until the first
10 million vehicles have paid.

Interesting also that their 'peak' time is 0600-2300 /

 

Klaatu says...

When I went past it a few weeks ago the signs indicated that it was a
quid off-peak, 2 quid during peak times, with other vehicles paying more
to use the road during peak periods too.

It appears the charge being reported at the moment is only for the first
10,000 vehicles, after that they rise, presumably to the 'stepped'
system.

--
Lesley
ZXR400SP
SBS#11[with oak-leaf cluster]
BOTAFOT#101A UKRMHRC#12
BONY#54P BOB#18

Un-cork me to reply

 

So I'm going to have my own private railway station underneath my flat
or heliport on top of it given that to get anywhere other than by bike I
can't use a road based form of public transport?

Kewl! that's a new definition of "integrated transport system".

 

Yes and? If you ask the private sector to run things like this then
they expect to get a return. They aren't a charity and if we have
decided as a nation that everything is done better by the private sector
then lots of things will cost more and will probably be delivered to a
lower level of quality [1].

[1] especially where there are limits on competition or natural
monopolies in existence. i.e. little pressure to innovate, offer a
better service or differentiate the product relative to the market
demand.

 

sounds like they are being economically rational to me. More damage
equals higher cost which means higher charges. The lorry drivers will
want this sort of road to be free because "they deserve it". Well they
now have to face the same choice as anyone else who uses public
transport which is "is the fare reasonable enough relative to the
journey time and modal quality for me to pay it". If they save enough
time to avoid delays or delivery penalties then they'll pay the toll.
Isn't the market a wonderful mechanism?

 

Paul Corfield wrote

Quit the kin whinging Corfield, you can bloody afford it.

 

I thought it was just the ticket

 

if you say so, oh ancient and wizened one.