Can someone explain why we have tolls? We pay to build and keep the roads in good condition, then we have to pay if we want to use the good ones. And, at least here in Sydney’s peak hours, it take a similar, if not longer, amount of time to the non-toll roads for the same journey.
It’s what we commonly call “A Cheek”. If we add all the taxes we pay including income tax, it is a ludicrous amount of our income goes back to governments world wide so the pollies can take nice holidays and drive better cars than we do. It just doesn’t seem right does it.
To add insult to injury, some countries have “hot lanes” where the wealthy can pay a higher toll and use bus lanes. It was mooted for Sydney’s Harbour Bridge but the very next day there were howls from all and sundry and the idea was dropped like a hot potato. It seems the sweaty masses were not that keen for the fat cats to get priority on the roads. Unhappy peasants have caused all sorts of bother over the centuries. It’s always when they feel the big-knobs abuse their position. There is no harm in being rich, but the great unwashed get very uppity when the haves lord it over the have nots. The French court was dragged from their palace and beheaded a year later when the starving peasants were told to eat cake if they had no bread.
I’m not saying the government should be taken out and beheaded, that might be considered overkill. Perhaps instead they had to manage on the base wage and be forced to pay their own tolls instead of us paying for them. I’m fairly confident we would see change faster than a fat kid on candy.
Why stop at tolls? Maybe instead of wars, we get the leaders of the countries involved, put them in a room, and let them duke it out until only one is left. It seems as fair as sending ordinary good men and women to their deaths. It’s just a thought….
In the meanwhile, DOWN WITH TOLL ROADS!
Discover more from Gay Car Boys
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Here in the states I always felt that people who live in the state where-in the tollis, should be exempt, as kind of a right for being a local.
I agree. Still it doesn’t change the fact that the roads have been bought and paid for by registration as pointed out by Linda. What’s happened is the number of users has increased dramatically thus the income has increased but governments are addicted to income. I’m aware of only one road being returned to the public after the lease expired and that is Sydney’s M4. The harbour bridge is still a toll one way 76 years after it was built. It’s an outrage and we the users have every right to ask why?
In Victoria, and several roads here in sydney, traffic is funneled into the tunnels so the tolls can be charged. I had to call the RTA the other day because I was billed on the same exit of the M5 twice, 20 seconds apart. They refunded it without question but what if I had not noticed it? Speed cameras are the same. Perhaps we should start an internet campaign before the next election. Stuff the greens as they don’t want any roads at all, the Libs want us to pay 3 or 4 times for the same road, and Labour are too chaotic to know what they want.
The road taxes were supposed to be a user pays method of getting more taxes from those who drove more frequently (with truckies and travelling salesmen doing the most k.s and therefore paying the most).
These days it is private corporations funding these tunnels and screwing the user. At least those of us who don’t wish to bend over for the pollies can avoid those toll roads. Of course, they make it really difficult by having sucky alternatives.
I preferred your idea of beheading the pollies – or failing that; let them live on real wages and do it tough like the rest of us.