New Toll Road

[STUNO]

A wonderful new motorway extension has opened north of Auckland in NZ.It bypasses the town of Orewa which has caused delays of about 2 hours at very busy times (hol. weekends etc.). It has no toll booths but is fully automated with all the latest gadgets and internet accounts for payment etc. To pay cash $2 you have to stop at a roadside area and get out to go and pay at a machine. Can you see a flaw in the system at busy times? The transport authorities want everyone to open an account and pre-pay for at least 10 tolls $20, but tens of thousands of drivers use the road 1 or 2 times a year and are not about to pre-pay, result CHAOS and long delays. I predict that a toll booth or 2 will be quietly put in place soon.Do any of you northerners have any experiences with automatic toll roads? The toll is only charged 1 way.

[retrogeezer]

I don't even think there is a pre-pay toll road anywhere in the UK, just the usual basket that you just chuck your money into. It's automatically counted and the gate opens - job done.I think the Dartford bridge crossing can be pre-paid if you are a local at reduced rates.

[STUNO]

YUP the baskets are old-fashioned though, accordung to the road people!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

That dartford crossing drives me mad, why TF dont they accept any credit or debit cards? Its mental, you've just come from continental europe and somewhere along the M2 you've gotta stop and get some fuggin sterling small change to pay the poxy tunnel toll. GET SOME TECHNOLOGY MORONS

[TheScrapman]

I don't even think there is a pre-pay toll road anywhere in the UK

Oh there is one big one

[dollywobbler]

Dartford should be bloomin' free anyway. They should have stopped charging when the build costs were covered (which they are) but kept the tolls as an "environmental tax." Fuggin morons.

[TheScrapman]

Dartford should be bloomin' free anyway. They should have stopped charging when the build costs were covered (which they are) but kept the tolls as an "environmental tax." Fuggin morons.

And it went up 50% a couple of months ago!On saying that, it must cost a fair whack to keep it maintained.

[Spottedlaurel]

Dartford is free during the night though? Worked for me, I saved a bob or two when I brought the new Laurel home plus had Wuvvum following in my Bluebird on the usual late night/early morning collection mission from Datman.Most expensive toll I ever paid was £11 or something in the mid-90s, to get onto an island off La Rochelle.

[retrogeezer]

I don't even think there is a pre-pay toll road anywhere in the UK

Oh there is one big one

Can you pre-pay on the M6 toll then? I guess i should have googled it!

[Richard]

Bigger than that, there's the London Congestion Zone.

[pogweasel]

BIGGER than that, you have to pay in advance for your road tax.

[retrogeezer]

I wasn't including the congestion zone as it's not your usual 'toll road'

[Mr Lobster]

Not sure whether you pay in advance for M6 Toll or if they bill your card if you have one of their tags. I'd google it but I really can't be arsed.However. You can prepay for Mersey tunnel tags if you don't want to use cash. And then you get made to look like a complete twunt when you get to the other side to discover that a) That type of tag doesn't cover that class of vehile or that you have exhausted all the funds in your Fast Tag account.And why they can't take cards or even issue a receipt is beyond me.

[STUNO]

And why they can't take cards or even issue a receipt is beyond me.

I just had a picture of Mr Lobster sitting behind the person getting a receipt WRITTEN out:your name pleasehow do you spell thatsorry was that an Hyour address pleaseoh is that in Wales.can you spell it to meetc etcthank you sir, now fuggof and let the 100 cars waiting pay theirs!

[pogweasel]

True. But if you work for an ARSE who insists on receipts for every penny you spend....

[Mr Lobster]

But if you work for an ARSE who insists on receipts for every penny you spend....

Oh yes.

[Volksy]

True. But if you work for an ARSE who insists on receipts for every penny you spend....

Yup.. Same here

[pogweasel]

That said, now I have to be the ARSE and collect any and every reciet going in the vague hope of not getting too badly anally violated by the tax man. Used to boil my spuds though - I used to work for a major civil engineering consultants, and get a good mileage rate in lieu of a company car... I reckoned I could boost this by using home-brew biodiesel, though at the exact same time the firm decided they needed fuel reciepts even for non-company-car users or your allowance wouldn't be paid. Also used to get 'issues' as the car was too frugal for the amounts I was claiming for and they'd get their knickers in a twist.