Interesting that there are plenty of comments regarding the possibe taxing per mile of a vehicle but not much mention about the invasion of privacy it
would involve.
Transponders in cars would provide detailed information about which vehicle has been where and exactly when.
While I realise there is already the facility to do this with street cameras, it would then expand beyond towns and cities and no visual method would
be necessary. You/your vehicle would just be a number entered into another little black box hidden by the road.
Factory fitting would be simple as stated in the story and retrofitting would be a reasonably simple aftermarket option but this whole thing stinks to
me and has been presented under the guise of being for conservation, economy and streamlining.
I've been working on a project in my barn recently....a 1984 mini 1000. It will be a car I intend to keep for as long as I can keep it rolling. The
only black boxes are for lighting relays, fuses and simple stuff. No need to have a breakdown truck, a garage to plug in their expensive diagnostics,
not much that cannot be fixed by the roadside barring major mechanical failure, but if I look after it that won't become an issue.
Economical, nippy, FUN, easy to get cheap spares and one of the greatest car models ever made.
No bugger is going to fit anything I don't want, which raises another interesting question while I type this....
Are they factoring in the costs of policing the installation of a mile measuring device in each vehicle, what if you don't have one because as
"they" are always reminding us, we are all potential lawbreakers and must be controlled. And don't forget the billing and payment
infrastructure.
I remember posting a thread yonks ago about something similar regarding number plate taggig in the UK and one thing that I recall was the infringement
of privacy I mentioned earlier. While cars are often shared by friends, family and businesses, Motorbikes are more personal and not often shared. This
provides easy tracking of an individual. NOT GOOD.
Not many replies but worth reading the linked to BBC article:
License Plate "Tagging" Conspiracy.
I'd never have any "un"optional aftermarket device fitted to any of my vehicles. I'd rather get a horse.
This all sounds like a ruse to me, bleedin' parasites..
