Why Do We Pay Road Tax?

[monkee87 2]

Recently, I have been thinking why on earth are we paying road tax? The roads in my local area are just crap. I feel like I haven't driven on a smooth road in years, even the motor ways are pretty bad.

I know a GTi isn't the smoothest car on the road, but everywhere I drive it's just bump bump bump.. I also know we have had a crappy winter which destroyed the roads, but why is the councils not fixing it?? Surely that's what paying road tax is for??

 

Why can't we have roads like in Switzerland, they have crappy winters all the time but there roads are amazingly smooth...

 

Rant over.

[Cameron 16]

"Road Tax" is probably the biggest piss-take ever as (according to a friend who studied politics at uni) it doesn't go towards maintaining the roads at all! It goes into the Government's massive tax pot along with Income Tax etc so they can waste it however they see fit. The roads are maintained by local councils so it's actually all paid for by Council Tax. The reason the roads are in such a piss poor condition is that the councils don't have the budget to maintain them properly.

[welshpug 1,657]

Why can't we have roads like in Switzerland, they have crappy winters all the time but there roads are amazingly smooth...

 

They don't use salt much on the continent at all, everyone is sensible and uses winter tyres, many countries you are forced to by law.

[feb 47]

They don't use salt much on the continent at all, everyone is sensible and uses winter tyres, many countries you are forced to by law.

 

They do use both salt and winter tyres, you should see what the car looks like in winter after a week. Totally white, you can actually see the salt crystals on it.

 

Despite the heavy winter and freezing temperatures they repair the pot holes relatively quickly around towns at least but if you live in the sticks the roads are worse (not as bad as in the UK though).

 

In UK I am shocked at the amount of craters I see even on motorways!

Edited May 10, 2011 by feb

[cRaig 273 1 Cars]

Apparently 'Road Tax' hasnt been used to directly fund road building and repairs since 1937, which looks about right given some of the roads around here

[rusrallye 1]

same up north, im going back to standard rear axel mounts and considering toning my engine mounts down

 

soo harsh when theres soo many pot holes everywhere

[allye 530 3 Cars]

Have to remember that our roads are massively more used than most (all!?) countries. But then thats not really a reason for bas roads as that means theres mor tax coming in

[monkee87 2]

If road tax isn't for maintaining the roads, then why do we pay it...? it goes up every year. When I started driving in 2005 it was £60 for 6 months, and now it's £112...

[Cameron 16]

Because the majority of people (like me until a few months ago) have no idea and assume that a "road tax" would be to pay for the upkeep of the roads!

 

It's basically the same thing as Window Tax.

[SurGie 54]

They don't use salt much on the continent at all, everyone is sensible and uses winter tyres, many countries you are forced to by law.

 

 

We as a country are not use to having bad winters unlike Switzerland/Sweden does. As a country the road layers and pot hole menders dont always do a proper job, the amount iv seen fixed are very poor and im not a road fixer, the drains and man holes are one.

 

What pays for road makings, traffic lights, etc etc ? I guess the pot of government money that partly comes from road tax pays for things like these. Theres also the pollution too.

[swordfish210 20]

It does seem to be a pointless tax on the face of it, can't say i've ever looked in to exactly where the money goes though. There's a stretch of the M4 near me which has a very badly potholed outside lane which appeared over the weekend around Christmas time and it still hasn't been fixed. It scared the s*it out of me the first time i hit it at 70mph

[Batfink 201]

its like every other tax. It goes in a big pot to be divided out. Not really hard to understand.

[harryskid 193]

its like every other tax. It goes in a big pot to be divided out. Not really hard to understand.

 

Don't you mean Pot hole

[SurGie 54]

 

The pot hole is as big as the interest we are having to pay on the countries debt alone.

[jeremy 70]

Locally, and I guess nationally there has been a programme of increasing kerb heights for busses, and replacing dropped curb crossing for knobberly slabs. Now it does not take to much intelligence as to why there is not enough money left for pot hole repairs. However in answer to your question the reason we pay road tax is simply you will be fined if you don't and your insurance will be come invalid also.

[SurGie 54]

Insurance will still be valid with no TAX, its when there is no MOT when it affects the insurance. You just get a fine and car taken away iirc.

[Batfink 201]

Don't you mean Pot hole

 

nah, they have not been filled so no money spent.....

 

most likely a lot of that is funded by local council tax

[Anthony 1,003]

I find the best remedy for finding the state of the UK road network depressing is simply to drive in Belgium - by comparison, our roads are fabulous...

[swordfish210 20]

I find the best remedy for finding the state of the UK road network depressing is simply to drive in Belgium - by comparison, our roads are fabulous...

 

Yes but then you'll be in Belgium surrounded by those bloody neutrals which will just lead to more depression/fury

[feb 47]

I find the best remedy for finding the state of the UK road network depressing is simply to drive in Belgium - by comparison, our roads are fabulous...

 

+1

Belgian motorways are s*ite.

[Alessandro513 0]

It's a shame.

 

Anybody ever tried to gain compo for damage to your car from a pot hole? It's a freaking nightmare.