EV road tax

[ajlelectronics]

One of the other big turn off issues for me is the interior. A Tesla for example, looks like it was 'designed' by a five year old with Lego, after getting an iPad for Christmas.

 

[Kayos]

One of the other big turn off issues for me is the interior. A Tesla for example, looks like it was 'designed' by a five year old with Lego, after getting an iPad for Christmas.

I test drove a Tesla, other than the speed it was terrible. Not paying £50k to have a car that looks like it was assembled by someone who struggled with Airfix models

 

[prepman]

On a general note...If the public transport/haulage system(s) had been rationalised instead of a private freeforall....then perhaps ...just perhaps, people could have been coaxed out of their cars?
My local railway station is great if I want a scenic run, but thanks to Dr Beeching getting to a Metroplis is like a flight to Oz and costlier (exaggeration for dramatic effect)

 

[ajlelectronics]

On a general note...If the public transport/haulage system(s) had been rationalised instead of a private freeforall....then perhaps ...just perhaps, people could have been coaxed out of their cars?
My local railway station is great if I want a scenic run, but thanks to Dr Beeching getting to a Metroplis is like a flight to Oz and costlier (exaggeration for dramatic effect)

My biggest problem with the railways is the fact that you cannot rely on them running. There is always some ransom attempt going on, meaning that it is safer to take the car.

 

[prepman]

My biggest problem with the railways is the fact that you cannot rely on them running. There is always some ransom attempt going on, meaning that it is safer to take the car.

 

[prepman]

My biggest problem with the railways is the fact that you cannot rely on them running. There is always some ransom attempt going on, meaning that it is safer to take the car.

The idea of privatising them was to improve effiency? Where did that go wrong?

 

[ajlelectronics]

To elucidate, you cannot rely on the service running because there will always be the RMT or whoever trying to bring down the government.

 

[ajlelectronics]

The idea of privatising them was to improve effiency? Where did that go wrong?

Much as I am an advocate for privatisation, it is clearly very difficult with something like the railways. Best compromise I suppose is one company in charge of the infrastructure and another in charge of the actual trains and services. Maybe allow those operators to be selected every few years according to the quality of service offered? I'm not sure that the current fragmentation will ever run any better than a state monoploly, sadly.

 

[voipio]

British Rail, back in the good old days seemed to run quite well on the whole, if I recall.

 

[ajlelectronics]

British Rail, back in the good old days seemed to run quite well on the whole, if I recall.

It was still heavily loss making though. The upsurge in road transport didn't help of course and with the huge cost of train drivers and associated staff now, I can't see how it could ever break even at fares that can be afforded.
A state monopoly may well offer subsidised fares, but that is the taxpayer (i.e. US) funding the difference at a far higher total cost than paying up front. It just looks like a lower fare to the bloke on the Clapham Omnibus.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

It's all very sad...when people have a guaranteed job up to retirement followed by a good final salary pension it should be enough shouldn't it?

In theory gov owned should be the best system...the reality is somewhat different.

 

[ajlelectronics]

It's all very sad...when people have a guaranteed job up to retirement followed by a good final salary pension it should be enough shouldn't it?

In theory it should be the best system...the reality is somewhat different.

Like Communism; an excellent theory, but impossible to work in practice. Socialism works, until they run out of other people's money to spend.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Like Communism; an excellent theory, but impossible to work in practice.

The only people who think communism is a good idea is people who haven't lived under it...ask anyone who has and see what they say!

In theory it's the best...but not with humans in charge. Maybe an AI could make it work properly?

 

[ajlelectronics]

The only people who think communism is a good idea is people who haven't lived under it...ask anyone who has and see what the say!

In theory it's the best...but not with humans in charge. Maybe an AI could make it work properly?

I have a contact in Nicaragua. He tells me some stories.

 

[ukracer]

The idea of privatising them was to improve effiency? Where did that go wrong?

Because to make a profit they need to reduce standards or and staff.

 

[ukracer]

Because to make a profit they need to reduce standards or and staff.

I ironically I was in a car yesterday sitting at one of the insane amount in our area just now.
6 guys all standing round looking into a hole in the ground.
Person in the car starts chuntering about council workers and the usual 6 people watching 1 working comment was trotted out.......sadly for him I pointed out it was a private company doing the work....lol

He soon shut up. Lol

 

[brewdexta]

The current rail is the worst of both worlds, large government subsidies to private companies who use it to provide dividends, not investment. So it is effectively socialist, but letting capitalists allocate the money, there's a recipe for disaster!

The current strikes wouldn't exist if the need for paying wage increases in line with inflation was included in rail companies accounting forecasts instead of syphoned into dividends. Its hardly rocket science to do this or to assume its necessary for workers wages to keep up. Wage rises demands are always met with surprise, but other business cost rises are accepted. Same goes for junior doctors, nurses etc. etc........ it is paramount to false accounting.

 

[Morris]

Exactly. Privatise the profit and publicly own the loss.
Subsidies to the rail companies in 2021-22 was 17 billion.

 

[Seadog]

BR, prior to privatisation, was actually a much improved service with a high degree of customer satisfaction. Great, now's the time to flog it to our mates

 

[prepman]

British Rail, back in the good old days seemed to run quite well on the whole, if I recall.

It had it's moments, but had to be made profitable in order to sell it........dwell on that for a moment.
Historically the railways where a mish-mash of private rail companies and nationalised to sort the mess out. My Grandad was a steam engineer driver for the LNER based at Sevenoaks.
His shift patterns were horrendous. But breakfast off the shovel for free and toasty warm .......in summer.