Proposed toll for motorhomes and campervans on NC500 Scottish route

[mikebeaches]

Lib-Dem MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, Jamie Stone, has made the proposal..

"In a letter to the transport minister he suggested that the Scottish Government should underpin the success of NC500 by "allocating additional resources" to the upkeep of the roads involved. The MP further suggested that a tolling scheme could be put in place for non-local large vehicles such as campervans.

"This would entail the payment of a set charge to travel on a certain defined route...."

Stone blasts NC500 campervan chaos

Jamie Stone has addressed the issue of camper vans clogging up the NC500 tourist trail.

www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk

 

[LesW]

Was only a matter of time.

 

[BusyBuilder]

Aye right

 

[WillH]

As I posted in another thread, they only want our pound. We already pay for the roads through taxation, Visit Scotland promote the route so should they not invest in it.

 

[grasscutter]

I can just see toll booths on every road accessing the route

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[irnbru]

Not got a problem with toll fees if they provide something in return like an aire.

 

[BobtheBass]

I presume most Motorhomers do the route because of the fantastic views, but why should you pay to see them? The viewing rights are not owned by anyone and the road itself is yours to drive on as you see fit so any charge would be nothing other than highway robbery. Everyone wants to screw everybody else nowadays, and give a person a tiny bit of power and they think it's their licence to make more money out of the rest of us.

 

[GAVLAD]

I’m buying a yellow vest to be ready!

 

[Gellyneck]

What's different to this from the various "tourist \ transit \ toll" taxes in a considerable number of counties throughout the world?

 

[WillH]

What's different to this from the various "tourist \ transit \ toll" taxes in a considerable number of counties throughout the world?

The difference is we don't have them, in other countries you get what you pay for, we've already paid!

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[WESTY66]

What's different to this from the various "tourist \ transit \ toll" taxes in a considerable number of counties throughout the world?

Possibly because this is aimed at camper and and motorhomes?? Can cars and bikes do the road for free??

 

[Ivory55]

It said non local large vehicles so surely this must include hgv as well.

 

[chrisinplymouth]

He needs to get over himself..... try living down here in Devon and Cornwall if he wants to moan about traffic.

 

[Gellyneck]

The difference is we don't have them, in other countries you get what you pay for, we've already paid!

OK, so we've paid taxes to provide an infrastructure to cope with the local demand. What happens when that demand greatly exceeds that local provision?

Possibly because this is aimed at camper and and motorhomes?? Can cars and bikes do the road for free??

The infrastructure was not designed to handle the volume of large vehicles so how is this addressed? Spend more money on the infrastructure but where will that come from?

It said non local large vehicles so surely this must include hgv as well.

In the same vein. How much do foreign HGVs pay to use our road network?

 

[Ivory55]

They was on about having a charge for foreign hgv but don’t know if they did. It’s always said about the amount that doesn’t pay the dart charge.

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[Gellyneck]

They was on about having a charge for foreign hgv but don’t know if they did. It’s always said about the amount that doesn’t pay the dart charge.

No "tax \ toll" on foreign HGVs as far as I know. Well there wasn't when I was in the industry.
So they whizz around our motorway system at zero cost however in other Continental countries tolls are an expected cost to the business for them to use the infrastructure.

 

[Camdoon]

Just as well it wasn't a SNP suggested tax or it would only be payable by English registered vans.

 

[wiljoy]

They begged us to visit Scotland by creating the N500. We visited in droves so now they want to cash in by ripping us off further. Do they want visitors or not?
Typical MP trying to be in the spotlight.
The day they implement a charge for motorhomes we'll stay away.

 

[Stewart J]

Kill the goose comes to mind, invest in aires local shopping , eateries and the like why screw us !

 

[busby]

OK, so we've paid taxes to provide an infrastructure to cope with the local demand. What happens when that demand greatly exceeds that local provision?

The infrastructure was not designed to handle the volume of large vehicles so how is this addressed? Spend more money on the infrastructure but where will that come from?

In the same vein. How much do foreign HGVs pay to use our road network?

A fixed amount a day on entering the country,,BUSBY.

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[busby]

No "tax \ toll" on foreign HGVs as far as I know. Well there wasn't when I was in the industry.
So they whizz around our motorway system at zero cost however in other Continental countries tolls are an expected cost to the business for them to use the infrastructure.

No they don't,they pay but not enough,,BUSBY,

 

[Gaston aires]

There are many beautiful places in Scotland not on the NC500 route. We all stop using it, they’ll soon drop it.
Phil

 

[stevewagner]

OK, so we've paid taxes to provide an infrastructure to cope with the local demand. What happens when that demand greatly exceeds that local provision?

The infrastructure was not designed to handle the volume of large vehicles so how is this addressed? Spend more money on the infrastructure but where will that come from?

In the same vein. How much do foreign HGVs pay to use our road network?

I believe it's £10 per day now

 

[Lenny HB]

Charge large vehicle's like campervans, the ones that leave no rubbish but cars that leave lay-bys overflowing with rubbish go free. That sounds like a nice fair system.

 

[Fallon]

If they were to pull a stunt like that then we should all do what the french wagon drivers do ,
all go up there in convoys and switch the engines off blocking all the main routes to the highlands , and demand our rites as British road tax paying citizens to drive on any public roads within the British Isles, they have no right to hijack selected roads and then charge us for the privilege

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[Baileysbus]

Back in the day, the aforementioned MP was known locally as “the Stone of density” ........ nuff said ?

 

[SpeedyDux]

That would be blatant discrimination against "campervans" and the minority who enjoy using these vehicles.

It effectively amounts to rationing use of the NC500 via a variable price for access. It might be jacked up in high season and reduced in low season.

PS - This kind of proposal is one more reason for resisting road pricing as a new kind of tax, based on black box telematics in all vehicles.

 

[TheAleMan]

They begged us to visit Scotland by creating the N500. We visited in droves so now they want to cash in by ripping us off further. Do they want visitors or not?
Typical MP trying to be in the spotlight.
The day they implement a charge for motorhomes we'll stay away.

Exactly that. it's a sure fine way to stop visitors coming.

 

[Cheshirecat57]

Just the TALK of it has stopped me from going

 

[CazPaul]

Charge large vehicle's like campervans, the ones that leave no rubbish but cars that leave lay-bys overflowing with rubbish go free. That sounds like a nice fair system.

Exactly, where we live high up on the moors in Teesdale it's cars who leave all the crap behind, the odd motorhome who stays over take theirs away
So nothing gets said or done because it's impossible to do anything, if it was the other way around there would be a campaign, petition and call for a ban on motorhomes.

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