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January 2011 NEWS
Monday 31 January 2011
USA Roundup
On the DRPA feeding trough - Philly.com - "Inquirer Editorial: Can anyone fix the DRPA?" Courier-Post - "DRPA defends spending $1.7M on lobbying firms".
Billionaire Bloomberg pushing tolls again - CBS - "Mayor Gets Back On East River Bridges Toll Bandwagon" video.
And a comment on Bloomberg's other dream - NY Observer - "Skelos Makes Congestion Pricing Crack at ABNY" CBS - "Skelos Pledges To Block Congestion Pricing" audio.
More from the trolls - CNN - "Road tax alternative: Pay for each mile you drive" (The American Enterprise Institute Board is mainly bankers).
Call on BP to pay tolls because of fall in bridge crossings - Daily Comet (Louisiana) - "Something for nothing".
Sundry stories - Texas - "Is Interstate 35-Texas 130 swap proposal kooky or ingenious?" Texas - "Could Texas 130 become the new I-35?" comments W Virginia - "Board works to trim U.S. 35 costs" Texas - "If you drive around Dallas, it could take a heavy toll"
New Jersey - "Bills aim to refund toll rise" California - "Golden Gate Bridge to eliminate toll takers" comments California - "Golden Gate Bridge eliminates toll-takers" California - "Why privatize the New Jersey Turnpike?"
Maine - "Financial watchdog questions spending of turnpike agency" N Carolina - "I-95 changes could include closed exits, tolls" comments "Illinois Collects $5M In Unpaid Tolls" Virginia - "Peak rate tolls considered in Hampton Roads".
Liverpool tolls increase proposed
Wirral Globe - "Drivers could be facing another Mersey Tunnel toll increase".
No change for Singapore tolls
Asia One- "No change to ERP rates after quarterly review".
Con
Contract & Hire Leasing - "Criticism for Volvo advertising campaign" AvoidtheCongestionCharge.com.
Volvo have gone through several hands, and the brand is now owned by a Chinese firm, though this con website seems to have been created by a London consultantcy.
SNP on tolls abolition
SNP - "Abolition of tolls saves Scots £hundreds".
Bit more on bumpy tolls
BBC - "Plans made to replace Durham's congestion toll bollard".
More on suggestion that some Malaysian tolls would go
Bernarma - "Decision On Toll Can Affect Debt Obligations Of Concessions, Says OSK" Malaysia Sun - "It's time to free our highways".
More on Halifax bridge toll rises
Chronicle-Herald - "Down with tolls and bigwigs" Chronicle-Herald - "Cost of bridge crossings going up this spring" comments Chronicle-Herald - "Increase will take a toll — courier".
The Editor of the paper is a tolls fan - "Bridge toll hike sensible".
One politician is suggesting tolls on the roads - CBC - "Councillor proposes Halifax road tolls" lots of comments.
No toll increase
Bay of Plenty Times - "Route K toll stays unchanged".
What the story does not make clear is that if a 25% increase in tolls had resulted in the forecast 25% fall in traffic, then the tolls income would have gone down (by 6.25%).
Bit more on Rock and tolls
Panorama - "Carracao tells Panorama: The Spanish Government will never consent to a Gibraltar toll".
AGW
The carbon scam has become too much for the EU to ignore, at least for now - Telegraph - "The great carbon trading scandal" Guardian - "European commission extends carbon market freeze indefinitely".
The issue that brought this trading to a halt was outsiders committing a fraud within the overall fraud. Once that side fraud is stopped, the main and officially sponsored fraud is likely to restart.
Saturday 29 January 2011
Nonsense
Telegraph - "Motorists could be offered some relief from tax rises" Guardian - "George Osborne hints at delay to 1p rise in fuel duty".
The Chancellor is already raking it in on taxes on fuel for motor vehcles includung about an extra three pence a litre from the January VAT increase. He may well postpone a further one pence increase, but for drivers who are affected by tolls and toll increases, one pence on fuel is not significant.
More nonsense
Daily Express - "Hopes Soar Of Hydrogen Fuel Costing 90p A Gallon" Cella Energy press release (Which makes no mention of 90p).
The price of petrol and diesel at the pumps is the equivalent of about £6 a gallon, but nearly £4 of that is tax. Is anyone daft enough to believe that if someone really did come up with an alternative that costs only 90 pence to make, then they would sell it at that price rather than at £2?
Friday 28 January 2011
Now you see it, now you don't
Hull Daily Mail - "£5m Humber Bridge surplus never existed".
Some Malaysian tolls to go
Business Times - "KL Govt to scrap road tolls, freeze others".
Thursday 27 January 2011
USA Roundup
More on New York's cyclists and other trolls having another go at "congestion pricing" - Gotham1st - "Skelos Calls Congestion Traffic Pricing "Just Another Tax"" NY Daily News - "Resurrected congestion pricing ripped by Senate GOP head Dean Skelos" Metropolis - "New Push for Congestion Pricing? Not From City Hall" Transportation Nation - "Congestion Pricing is Underway in New York".
Sundry stories - Florida - "Cape councilman calling for lower tolls" Florida - "Will shake-up at Expressway Authority mean more tolls?" Pa. - "Tolls An Option To Fund Route 219 Project" video Washington State - "Transportation commission recommends $5.50 rate for Narrows photo tolling" "Unionized Delaware River Port Authority employees are entitled to free tolls and train rides, judge rules" comments.
Toll rises
Halifax News Net - "NSUARB approves toll increase for Halifax Harbour Bridges" CBC - "Halifax-Dartmouth bridge tolls to go up April 1" comments.
Some Council leaders object to another Thames bridge
Dartford Times - "Leaders unite to demolish Dartford and Gravesend crossing plan" Yellow Advertiser - "Council leaders attack river crossing plans".
Tolls may not be enough
Runcorn & Widnes Weekly News - "Transport consultants warn of toll shortfall risk on Mersey Gateway in Halton" Runcorn & Widnes World - "Revenue not at risk, say Mersey Gateway chiefs".
Defence of judges who gave life sentence to toll evader
Global Times - "Judge not, lest ye be administratively punished in turn".
Most drivers believe in Global Warming
DfT - "Public attitudes towards climate change and the impact on transport - January 2011 report" (links to report, tables and questionaire are at right).
Wednesday 26 January 2011
USA Roundup
New York's tolls lobby are to have another go at forcing through "congestion pricing" - Fox - "Report: Congestion Pricing Plan Back" video CBS - "Congestion Pricing Rises From The Dead" audio NY Daily News - "Congestion pricing still on board as politicians resurrect plan to charge drivers entering city" comments Gothamist - "Congestion Pricing Resurrected As "Traffic Pricing"" comments.
More on the resurrection of trolls in Connecticut - Foothills - "Tolls? Looking for revenue in all the wrong places" Daily Campus - "Conn. politicians should look to bring back tolls" Wall Street Journal - "Toll Talk Gains in Connecticut".
Wall Street Journal - "Who Knew Iowa Plates Save Money?".
Sundry stories - Florida - "Mayor Jacobs Speaks Out Against Toll Hikes" "Free rides resume for some DRPA employees" "Arbitrator restores free DRPA rides" comments Rhode Island - "Bills would ban bridge tolls" "N.J. Turnpike toll collectors protest privatization plan" NY - "The good, the bad and the P3s".
Dead parrot killed again
Jack Bristol - "City centre toll plans scrapped".
If you don't pay tolls then you can't insure
BC Local - "Pay your bridge tolls on time, or else: TLink".
Bit more on Humber tolls
Scunthorpe Telegraph - "Make your voice heard in the fight against increasing Humber Bridge tolls".
Comment on the new tolls
News24 - "e-toll? i-poor!".
Believe us, we know what's best for you
BBC - "Mervyn King says pay squeeze necessary" BofE - "Speech given by Mervyn King, 25 January 2011" pdf.
BBC - "Another Bank of England policymaker votes for rate rise" BofE - "Minutes Of The Monetary Policy Committee Meeting 12 And 13 January 2011" pdf.
BBC - "UK economy suffers 0.5% contraction" ONS - "Gross domestic product preliminary estimate 4th Quarter 2010" pdf.
Britain is in a mess for various reasons, but the main one is that over the last two decades many people have through poor management of the economic system gained income and wealth with little or no effort. One of the main culprits in letting this happen has been the Bank of England. Now that someone has to pay the price it will not be those who gained - and who continue to gain from a spiv economy. Savers and workers are the ones who will pay through low interest rates, high inflation and no pay rises. If workers are not content to swallow the lies from the Bank and the Government, then things may get even worse - except of course for the spivs.
Tuesday 25 January 2011
USA Roundup
Sundry stories - Florida - "Lee will vote on paying state for Colonial plan cost" Texas - "Reduced toll rate may not be enough in Austin" W Virginia - "Truckers, businesses protest putting tolls on U.S. 35" New Jersey - "Sacco, Sweeney Bill approved by transportation committee".
More on the new tolls
Johannesburg City Council - "Joburg drivers set to pay toll fee".
Our Day Out at the bridge
Scunthorpe Telegraph - "Politicians meet to create a stable financial future for the Humber Bridge" Hull Daily Mail - "Ministers visit Humber Bridge to hear of tolls' impact on local economy".
PS Scunthorpe Telegraph - "Have your say on proposals to increase Humber Bridge tolls".
More on Irish trolls being taken to court
Independent - "Toll company overcharging, court is told" Irish Examiner - "NRA: Toll firm to net €1.4m by overcharging" Irish Times - "NRA claims M1 toll operator is overcharging motorists".
A different cycle
BBC - "Moving hire bikes around harming other cyclists...".
Perhaps they could employ people to move bikes round London using pedal power?
Another layer of whitewash
BBC - "ClimateGate affair: 'Learn and move on', say MPs" Commons Science & Technology Cttee - "The Reviews into the University of East
Anglia's Climatic Research Unit’s E-mails".
Monday 24 January 2011
USA Roundup
Sundry stories - W Virginia - "Toll Protesters Fill Parkways Authority Meeting" Texas - "Driving rental cars on all-electronic toll roads in Dallas-Fort Worth could prove costly for Super Bowl visitors" Washington State - "The coming nightmare" comments Washington State- "Poll: Tolls will cause people to avoid 520 bridge" lot of comments Florida - "Cape Coral may not receive surplus tolls".
Green lawyers take back the gauntlet
Guardian - "After the WEZ: hot air on clean air?".
Government claims that it will reduce tolls
Ekathimerini- "Tolls will be reduced, says transport minister".
Irish trolls taken to court
RTE - "Toll operator overcharging motorists - NRA".
More dangerous distraction from the Government
BBC - "Report: Urgent action needed to avert global hunger".
The official document - BBC - "The Future of Food and Farming:
Challenges and choices for global sustainability" large pdf mentions the phrase "climate change" 184 times in its 211 pages (there are also 5 instances of "global warming", presumably a mistake!). Whereas the phrase "population growth" only appears 23 times and the phrase "birth control" does not appaer even once.
Global warming, whether real or not, makes very little difference to any of the problems facing the world. The real problem is that there are already about 6.9 billion people and that figure is increasing by about 80 million mouths a year.
Odd reason for less tolls
Scunthorpe Telegraph - "MPs claim wind turbine plant deal bolsters Humber Bridge tolls campaign".
Plea for less tollsfor buses
Malay Mail - "Bus operators: Paying full toll rates not reasonable".
Saturday 22 January 2011
USA Roundup
Sundry stories - Washington State - "54 percent will try avoiding 520 bridge tolls, new KING 5 poll finds" Texas - "Truckers could soon save on SH 130" NY - "Temp Toll Workers Needed".
Bumpy tolls
Northern Echo - "City could see alternative to rising bollard".
The story says that "countless" drivers have had their cars damaged because they have "tried to jump the £2 fee". This is not so, the reason that so many vehicles are damaged is because drivers do not understand how the bollards work. This particularly applies to tourists and people such as disabled drivers (who in theory are supposed to be exempt). Now that Durham is raising the charge to £5, it seems like a good reason for people to keep away from Durham.
Who will pay?
AGI - "Matteoli: No Tolls On Salerno-R. Calabria Motorway".
There are so many exemptions, that it is not clear why they are bothering.
Friday 21 January 2011
Latest M6 Toll figures
The Australian company that owns the M6 Toll road has today published their latest quarterly traffic figures. The decline in M6 Toll traffic stopped about a year ago, but there has been very little recovery since, and it is likely that the M6 Toll is still losing a substantial amount of money. There are more details on our M6Toll traffic page.
USA Roundup
Sundry stories - "Privatizing NJ toll collection" Virginia - "Route 460 project moves forward" California - "South Bay Expressway to begin taking credit cards".
NY - "Henry Hudson Span Goes "Gateless"" video Washington State - "Some worry that photo tolling on Narrows Bridge won't pay for itself" Minnesota - "Toll? Closure? Bridge ideas abound" "Connecticut highway tolls could raise $600 million annually".
Bit more on cycling councillor's pipe dream
Hunts Post - "Road-charging plan for whole of Cambridgeshire".
Different views on China's tolls
Global Times - "Steep road tolls still needed to build national infrastructure" Xinhua Net - "Growing China can afford to change highways to freeways".
The fairest and most efficient way of charging for roads use is through fuel taxes, this also benefits the environment. Until recently China subsidised fuel, it was then decreed that taxes should replace the fuel subsidies, and that tolls should be eliminated. To some extent this has happened, but most of the tolls remain, because in China, as elsewhere, tolls are corrupt.
Thursday 20 January 2011
USA Roundup
Bankruptcy protection to end on bust road - Sign On San Diego - "Toll road for sale or rent?".
The trolls are stalking Connecticut - WTNH - "Tolls could return to Connecticut roads" video & lot of comments Hartford Courant - "Tolls: Connecticut's Route Out Of Transportation Fund Shortage?".
Sundry stories - Washington State - "House budget plan would clear path to Narrows bridge photo tolls" "Sen. Patty Murray urges support for Columbia River Crossing, including tolls and light rail" "NJ Democrats advance toll hike rollback".
Rhode Island - "Felag bills prohibit Mt. Hope, Sakonnet bridge tolls" "Cash, coins no longer accepted on North Texas toll roads" New Hampshire - "New Legislature brings new hope for Merrimack toll payers" Land Line Mag - "Virginia bill would add hurdle to toll hikes".
Florida - "Anti-Tax Group Says Orange County Could Stop Collecting Tolls on Roads" Minnesota - "Toll plan pops up as possible bridge solution" Ohio River Crossing - "Fight against tolls continues" Pennsylvania - "Keeping up the guard against raids on toll road receipts" Denver - "Who's watching the till in the state's tollbooths?" Florida - "Expressway Authority Wants To Increase Tolls".
Australian view of the Private Finance racket
Online Opinion - "Politicians and experts: who can we trust in infrastructure financing and PPPs?".
New toll bridge criticised by public transport group
Click Liverpool - "Mersey Gateway project blasted by new transport report". The report - Campaign for Better Transport - "The Risks and Financing of the Mersey Gateway Bridge" pdf.
Humber bridge
Ministers to have a look - Scunthorpe Telegraph - "Ministers will see first-hand cost of Humber Bridge tolls on our region". This is no more than a PR exercise and bridge users will get no real help from this Government.
Deadline for objections extended - Yorkshire Post - "Deadline for views on bridge tolls extended".
Welcome to London
BBC - "Woman gets £505 London Congestion Charge demand".
Meanwhile the driver who paid by mistake (see Tuesday) is to be refunded, but nobody else will get their money back - Evening Standard - "Refund for C-charge motorist highlighted by Standard".
Proposal for tolls on all Belgian motorways
Monsters&Critics - "Belgium moves to introduce road tolls from 2013" Expatica - "Belgium's motorways to apply tolls from 2013".
As Belgium is a very shaky nation, devolving the roads to a lower level of government is likely to cause further disunity.
More on the hornet's nest
Global Times - "Judicial loopholes point to badly needed reform" AFP - "China vows cheaper road tolls after online outcry" People's Daily - "Highway toll fees set to decrease".
Bangladesh agrees to rip-off
Reuters - "Italian-Thai signs $2 bln Bangladesh expressway deal".
Monk arrested for not paying tolls
Mainichi Daily - "Monk on motorbike suspected of giving toll collectors the slip 80 times". Presumably he won't get life?
AGW
BBC and UN confirm that 2010 is the hottest year, and that AGW is the cause of both floods and droughts - "2010 hits global temperature high".
Tuesday 18 January 2011
USA Roundup
Feds give would be trolls more time to apply for grants - Civ Source - "Feds want pilot programs to address congestion problems" Mercury News - "Bay Bridge travel time reduced in morning rush hour since congestion tolls added".
Sundry stories - Florida - "Record return for Expressway Authority may delay toll hike" Connecticut - "Gov. Malloy: Tolls may help build Route 11" comments Land Line Mag - "New Jersey lawmakers want tolls rolled back" Louisiana - "La 1 toll bridge has collections issues".
Ohio River Bridges - "Jeffersonville restaurant owners take on tolls" California - "Golden Gate Bridge committee delays decision on eliminating toll-takers" New Jersey - "Privatization threatens turnpike workers" Florida - "Stretch Of Toll Road Littered With Potholes" video.
Dartford dreams
Thurrock Gazette 14 Jan - "Timetable set for crossing moves" BBC 9 Jan - "MP calls for action on Dartford Crossing traffic jams" BBC 8 Jan - "Dartford tunnel 'costing businesses millions'" video.
The Tories, including the Transport Minister who is now so keen on tolls, used to call for them to be removed. Now they are fans of barrierless tolling. These politicains are not only going back on what they said in oppositon, they are also deluded if they think that drivers will help them to make barrierless tolling work.
More tolls may be on the way
RTE - "No decision on 'additional tolls' - Dempsey".
Wireless risk
Network World - "Will electronic toll systems become terrorist targets?".
"Idiot's guide" on how to pay tolls
Mail & Guardian - "The idiot's guide to the open road tolling system".
Higher price for spy in sky
BBC - "Galileo price rises 1.9bn euros".
The EC's number two priority for Galileo is road transport applications including "road user charging with GNSS-based toll collection systems allows a more efficient use of the road infrastructure, reducing both traffic and environmental effects".
Cycling councillor's pipe dream
Small World News - "Motorists slam pay-as-you-drive scheme" Cambridge First - "Councillor calls for motorists to be charged to improve Cambridgeshire’s roads and public transport" Cambridge News - "Pay as you drive scheme proposed".
The chances of this happening must be something less than nil.
Thank you very much - for nothing
Evening Standard - "TfL refuses to refund driver's C-charge for scrapped zone".
Brisbane tolls return
Queensland Business Review - "Tolls reinstated on Gateway and Logan motorways".
Finnish Con may be back on
Helsinki Times - "Finnish government sees congestion charge in 2016".
Bit more on Irish trolls refusing to reduce prices
Post - "Toll operators clash with NRA over contracts".
Trolls deal sniffed out
Telegraph-Journal - "Land deal between city and bridge authority goes awry".
Toronto's trolls at it again
Star - "Pay as you drive" lots of comments.
A different view of the trolls - Star - "Isn’t 407 a private company?".
Bit more on protest
Guardian - "Greek mayor arrested after bulldozing toll booth barriers".
More on life in prison for not paying tolls
The report (see last Tuesday) got world wide coverage and the Chinese are reviewing the case - People's Daily - "China's transport ministry defends controversial expressway tolls" Global Times - "Highway robbery" BBC - "Judges sacked in case of China toll dodger Shi Jianfeng" East Day - "Brother turns self in for evading huge toll fees" Global Times - "Judges fired over toll case" Global Times - "Exorbitant tolls obstruct the road forward for China" Shanghai Daily - "3 suspended in life for tolls case".
None of the reports mention that according to the decisions of the National Development and Reform Commission there should be no tolls to evade. The latest promises of the Chinese Transport Minister to remove some tolls and reduce others are worthless, as the Government seem to have no control over what happens with tolls.
All part of another Con game
BBC - "UK inflation rate rises to 3.7%" ONS - "Consumer price indices
December 2010".
The "fight against inflation" is just another Con, which is why we have the RPI increasing by 4.8 per cent in December while interest rates are kept at almost nil by a bank that are an essental part of the Con - BofE - "Bank of England Maintains Bank Rate at 0.5% and the Size of the Asset Purchase Programme at £200 Billion". High inflation and low interest rates benefit
the Government and the fat cats whose wealth will not be held as cash. Though for the Con to work, the workers have to be duped into accepting below inflation pay rises - or better still to accept paycuts!
One of the items that will tend to rise more than most is petrol prices (AA - "Fuel Price Report December 2010" pdf), where there are three pressures - rising global demand, low sterling value against the dollar, and fuel duty and VAT increases. The Government (and drivers) are fairly safe from the fuel protests that hit the previous Government as the protests were largely inspired by Tory and Lib Dem saboteurs, there may however still be disruption if the oil tanker drivers decide that they should be exempted from the pay Con.
AGW
Last week GISS issued their press release about 2010 being the joint warmest year before they published their "data". Oddly when they did publish their figures, it shows 2010 as the warmest year, not joint warmest - GISS's latest - "GLOBAL Land-Ocean Temperature Index in 0.01 degrees Celsius, base period: 1951-1980".
Two sceptical views of this "data" - New American - "2010: "Hottest Year on Record"?" Science & Public Policy Institute - "Why NOAA And NASA Proclamations Should Be Ignored" pdf (note that NASA=GISS).
This is our graph of what GISS claim were the temperatures over last two decades- .
Thursday 13 January 2011
USA Roundup
Bit more on the claim that congestion pricing on the Bay bridge has worked - ABC - "Are 4 minutes and $2 priceless to you?" Mercury News - "Bay Bridge travel time reduced in morning rush hour since congestion tolls added".
Differing views in same paper (Star-Ledger) on NJ tolls - "Idea to cut tolls is pure politics" "Highway fight could take a toll on Christie".
A reminder that some are more equal than others - NBC LA - "Traffic Laws Do Not Apply to Everyone Equally" News10 - "State employees who run red lights, evade tolls cost state millions of dollars".
Sundry stories - Pennsylvania - "Corbett's PennDOT pick faces challenges" Connecticut - "Motorists: Ask not for whom latest cash tap tolls . . ." DC / Virginia - "Tolls are not the only method of funding highway improvements" California - "Bridges' toll increases put revenue plans on track".
One troll doing well
Daily Telegraph - "Drivers pay $1m a day in road tolls".
Mayor goes to court
Ekathimerini - "Pelasgia tollbooth...".
AGW
Oficially 2010 was the joint warmest year - GISS - "NASA Research Finds 2010 Tied for Warmest Year on Record" NOAA - "2010 Tied For Warmest Year on Record".
The announcement is not unexpected. What is surprising is that GISS have not published the temperature anomaly for December, when they do we will report again.
We commented during 2010 that though NOAA were using the same data as GISS, the NOAA were getting slightly different results and to a ten times greater degree of (spurious) accuracy. We also commented that the data kept changing, not only for recent months but for many years ago.
Wednesday 12 January 2011
USA Roundup
The authorities claim that congestion pricing on the Bay bridge has worked, though others say that it hasn't - SF Chronicle - "Conflicting findings on Bay Bridge congestion toll" Streets Blog - "Data Show Bay Bridge Crossing Speeds Not Affected by Variable Tolls" SF Examiner 22 Dec - "Carpoolers abandoning the bridge".
Despite the failure of the Oregon mileage tax trial a few years ago, the trolls in Washington State and Oregon are still pushing to replace fuel tax with tolls - KUOW - "Poll: Northwest Residents Don’t Want To Pay More For Roads".
Attempt to stop more highway robbery in New Jersey - NJ.com - "Senate Democrats propose measure to roll back toll increases intended to fund trans-Hudson tunnel" Newsroom Jersey - "Bill rolls back N.J. Turnpike, Parkway toll hikes intended to fund defunct ARC tunnel" NJ.com - "N.J. Democrats push to end toll hikes that would have funded canceled ARC tunnel" comments.
MTA being taken to court for using bridge tolls to pay for mass transit - NY Post - "'Bridge & funnel' toll suit".
Sundry stories - Florida - "Three tolls for U.S. 1 in the Keys now on the table" Ohio River bridges - "Kentucky bill would limit tolls" California - "Proposed system would eliminate Golden Gate Bridge toll takers".
California - "Toll lanes in long-range freeway plans" Connecticut - "Policy board touts tolls as fix for transit woes" Texas - "Legislature may look at cap on toll penalties".
The state of Indian toll roads
Mid-Day - "Roads take a toll".
Update on "looming" tolls
IT Web - "Priceless e-tolling looms" Times Live - "Tolls are disguised tax".
Life in prison for not paying tolls
People's Daily - "Farmer gets life imprisonment for evading expressway tolls worth 4 million yuan".
Officially, the tolls have been removed (twice), but the trolls have too much influence for any laws to be applied to them.
Irish trolls refuse to reduce prices
Herald - "Driver rip-off as toll chiefs won't cut fees" Independent - "Toll road operators defy rules by refusing to cut fees" Irish Times - "Toll plazas price row to go before courts".
Some Brisbane tolls suspended to ease traffic flow
My Sunshine Coast - "Tolls lifted as river rises".
Bit more on Greek protest
Ekonom:east Media Group - "Stylida mayor arrested for opening access road next to highway" Info Shop - "Greeks take to buses and roads in new protests".
More signs that Jakarta Traffic Con charge has been filed in bottom drawer
Jakarta Post - "City urged to find alternatives to delayed ERP scheme".
Toll change problem
Standard - "Bus firms threaten fare rises over tolls".
If the authorities were really interested in reducing congestion, then they would exempt buses from tolls, and change it so that other vehicles only paid one way.
AGW
It's official, the Australian floods are caused by global warming - Reuters - "Scientists see climate change link to Australian floods".
The Australian Government's Department of Climate Change website has however not yet latched on to this as it says that due to climate change there will be less rain.
Tuesday 11 January 2011
Humber toll increase update
Scunthorpe Telegraph - "Region's MPs demand a freeze on Humber Bridge tolls until review".
More on Greek protest
Kathimerini - "Mayor bulldozes through tolls" Euro News - "Greek protests over toll price rises" video.
Protest in Iceland
Iceland Review - "Thousands Protest Planned Road Tolls in Iceland".
Trouble continues for troll
Inside Costa Rica - "Atenas No Tolls Costing Autopistas $800.000 Monthly".
Jakarta Traffic Con charge confusion
Berita Jakarta - "ERP Implementation Likely Canceled".
AGW
The Deniers new movie - You Tube - "Global Warming Panic explained" video.
Monday 10 January 2011
More Green lunacy
News in English from Norway - "Politicians call for tougher tolls".
Only Greens and politicians are incapable of realising that the way to reduce vehicle emissions is through fuel taxes rather than road tolls.
Greek protest
Greek Reporter - "Greek Highway Protesters Occupied 19 Toll Stations".
AGW
Weather Action say that colder weather will last till about 2045 - You Tube - "Piers Corbyn Winters will now be Coldest in Centuries".
Saturday 8 January 2011
Bit more on the West is won back
Evening Standard - "My best festive present? The end of the C-charge".
Update on Jakarta Traffic Con
Jakarta Post - "Bylaw stalling introduction of ERP system".
Some opposition to new tolls
Portugal News Online - "Petition against A22 tolls handed to Portuguese parliament".
Tolls by the kilo
China Post - "Highways tolls charged per km traveled next year".
Another example of doing things the hard way. The most efficient way for charging for roads use is through fuel taxes, which incidentally helps to reduce fuel consumption and vehicle emissions.
AGW
Since Wednesday, the "Climate Summary" for December has appeared on the Met Office website "December 2010". Next week the GISS figures for 2010 should be out, and we will see if they are claiming that 2010 is the warmest year ever.
Wednesday 5 January 2011
Greens would toll whole of London, at up to £50 a day
Evening Standard - "I'd raise congestion charge to £50, says Green who would be Mayor".
The London Greens may have in mind using all this money taken from drivers to help pay for the costs associated with their policy of not only ignoring population growth but also opposing anything that would reduce immigration.
Bit more on Dartford tolls
Basildon Recorder - "MP’s vow to end Dartford Crossing traffic misery".
More AGW
The "Climate Summary" for December is not yet on the Met Office website, but though it usually appears later than the summary, the anomaly maps are already there - "UK actual and anomaly maps". To see how cold the Met Office admit it was, change the month to "December" and the Climate variable to "Mean temperature"
The BBC are also admitting that December was cold - "Last December coldest in UK 'since records began'".
No tolls in the dark
Focus Taiwan - "Freeway toll to be suspended at night during Lunar New Year".
Please Sir, give us electronic tolls
Thurrock Gazette - "Essex Federation for Small Businesses ask MPs to tackle Dartford toll congestion".
The FSB policy is that they oppose tolls, but if all they can do at Dartford is to beg the Government to automate tolls, then they may as well officially abandon their policy.
Bit more on protest
Vanguard - "Lekki residents demand cancellation of tolls".
AGW
The Telegraph and the BBC say that the Met Office knew that December would be exceptionally cold, but only told the Government - Telegraph - "Met Office 'kept winter forecast secret from public'".
Tuesday 4 January 2011
Bit more on the Con changes
BBC - "London congestion charge rises to £10 for 2011" Independent - "West London freed from congestion charging" Independent - "Leading article: High taxes on car users might not be the answer".
Monday 3 January 2011
More on protest
Vanguard - "Group protests Lekki road tolls" Vanguard - "Lekki-Epe Toll Fee: Residents demand total cancellation, threaten LASG" update.
Toll increase review
Inquirer - "Cabinet to take up higher tolls".
Change you won't notice
BBC - "Parking restrictions and charges relaxed in England".
Sunday 2 January 2011
Road pricing trolls not yet dead
FT 22 Dec - "Traffic: Into reverse".
Dick Turpin runs Dartford Xing
Kent News 2 Jan - "Dartford toll cash will not be ring-fenced for improvements" Brentwood News 28 Dec - "Government goes back on its word over Dartford tolls" Thurrock Gazette 24 Dec - "Council leader fumes at news cash from Dartford Toll hike won't be ring-fenced, and local discount comes under threat" Kent Online 23 Dec - "Toll cash 'won't be ringfenced'" a few comments BBC 23 Dec - "Dartford Crossing toll rise money not ring-fenced".
Government boosts fuel prices
BBC 1 Jan - "Petrol duty and VAT rises to increase price of fuel".
More on proposed Humber tolls increase
Hull Daily Mail 28 Dec - "Bridge toll rise 'could deter energy investors', business leaders say" Grimsby Telegraph 24 Dec - "Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce object to bridge tolls increase" Yorkshire Post 23 Dec - "Bridge toll increase would hit local economy, say business chiefs" BBC 23 Dec - "Humber Bridge tolls: Hammond urged to delay decision".
FTA falls for Con trick
South Wales Argus 26 Dec - "Welcome for calls to cut Severn Bridge tolls" MHW 23 Dec - "Businesses and MPs concur with FTA Severn Tolls are a barrier".
The West is won back
BBC 24 Dec - "London western extension C-charge zone's 'freedom day'".
The increase in Con charge and other changes come into effect on Tuesday 4th - TfL - see various links under - "Changes from 4 January 2011".
Bit more on Government confirming plan to hand over major untolled crossing to a PFI firm and toll it
Runcorn & Widnes Weekly News 23 Dec - "Secretaries of state approve Mersey Gateway" Runcorn & Widnes Weekly News 23 Dec - "National Alliance Against Tolls says planning inspector’s report indicates damage to economy".
Higher tolls
Toronto Star 31 Dec - "407 raising toll rates again".
Protest has some effect
Vanguard 31 Dec - "Lekki-Epe Toll Fee: Residents demand total cancellation, threaten LASG" PM News 30 Dec - "Fashola Suspends Toll Collection on Lekki Road" Vanguard 29 Dec - "Fashola suspends planned tolling on Lekki-Epe Expressway" Vanguard 22 Dec - "Lekki-Epe Expressway - Govt, Residents Head for Showdown".
The new tolls
Portugal News Online 1 Jan - "Tolls, microchips and money".
Another tolls cap
Japan Times 25 Dec - "Weekday car tolls to be set at ¥2,000" Nikkei 24 Dec - "Govt, DPJ Agree On Y1,000 Weekend Highway Toll".
2,000 Yen is about 16 pounds sterling or 25 US dollars - not much of a present when the Government had promised to abolish tolls!
AGW
James Delingpole widens his scepticism of AGW to say that population growth is not a problem or if it is then it will solve itself - Telegraph - "The man who 'invented' Global Warming".
James's views on population are as dangerous as the beliefs of the AGW church.
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