Non à la taxe kilométrique-Neen aan de kilometerheffing-

Here in Belgium, they are actually testing this new system with OBU’s with test persons.

It’s a hidden new tax, and not fair. The idea behind it is good : less car users due to more taxes, so less traffic jams, and less pollution politicians think. Oh yes, they think these politicians. A lot... while their eyes are staring into our wallets.

But some people prefer to live outside big cities, as they are too expensive to live (buying of a house), or too crowdie and noisy. That choice is a part of our freedom and democracy, or am I wrong ? And people like to keep control over their way to travel. As the more they are independent, the quicker you get from, or to your home in order to have time for your kids or yourself. Is that wrong ? Isn’t that the goal anymore ? Do we need to travel 1h more if we use busses and trains, instead of the same route with traffic jams with the car ? I’m talking about people who live further away from their work. Or are you going to obligate indirectly to move people’s houses to their working places near cities and industrial zones !!!???

I work at the airport near a city (Liege in Belgium). I work in shifts (7-15, 15-23 and 23-07h). I cannot take busses or trains, as there are none to the rural zone where I live, or too less. I need to get my kids at school first before getting to my home. Do you think it’s wise for me to take 4 a 5 different busses which drives only once an hour to get first my kids at the school, and then go to my home ? What about the time before I will be at home ? No time to do the home work of the kids, nor time to play with them before starting to make a meal, and getting them into bath. I’m wondering if I will make more kids. I see no reason why, if I see which way Europe wants’ to go.

I will pay at least a double amount of taxes if the government activates this new system of tax driving. Let's calculate. At the planned rate of 0,05 à 0,09 euro per km (the price depends on the hour when you drive) everyone will pay 11,4 euro à 20,52 euro a year per km for 228 working journeys. Let's take my example. I live at 22 km from my working place. 44 km from and to my work. 44 km x 11,4 euro = 501,6 euro a year, or at worst 44 km x 20,52 euro = 902,88 euro ! a year instead of the actual anual circulation tax of around 360 euro. And then we did not add the taxes for our private transport courses. This is realy going to be expensive ! Calculate it yourself. Cheaper you think, if you only drive 10 km to your work ? Yes indeed, for your courses from and to your work. But did you check how much you drive in a year including your private courses. These are not taken in account of my calculation ! I drive an average of 30.000 km a year. Meaning 1.500 euro (0,05 euro/km) or 2.700 euro (0,09 euro/km) a year to pay !!! And let's keep the taxes on the fuel... [cough]

I'm starting to wonder if it's more lucrative be unemployed ?

The idea for people like me stays still the same : to spend the less time to get home, and to have some quality time with the kids. Or is the EU going to obligate people to concentrate their homes around their working places next to industrial zones in order to drive the less, and avoid driving taxes. Hmmm…, smelly and healthy. What about the people who don’t like to live in crowdie areas, or like to live in rural zones ? Will they have to pay for their choice ? Is this fair ? The major jobs are situated around big cities. Obligating people to live there is really not fair, and won’t solve the traffic jams. Despite the ecological advantages, you leave people no choice, and the taxes won’t demotivate people like me. It makes me a-political, and my plans to have more kids, don’t talk about it. Let’s all get more stressed due these new measures, and get burn outs at work due to more and more stress. Time is already critical in life. Europe isn’t helping.

Aside of this fact, we pay in Belgium a lot of taxes on fuel. If you drive more. You pay more fuel, and so also more taxes. So there is already a demotivation element to use your car. Do you think people leave the car at home due to these high fuel taxed fuel prices ? No they don't. Do you think Belgium is going to remove the taxes on fuel in case they activate the OBU system ? They didn’t talk about that. No, you just will pay more for your transport, and there is no alternative, unless you live next to your job in an industrial zone !! Stupid ! Europe seams also to forget that the fuel price is not the same anymore than 10 years ago, and it won’t evolve in the opposite way. In some years it won’t be possible anymore to drive, as it will be too expensive ! Certainly with such measure upside the fuel price !

Why do all foreign transport companies use our roads without paying any taxes ? Why do we pay taxes in other surrounding countries (péages/toll houses in France, taxes in Germany, Switzerland, and so on…) and they don’t pay here ?

Why can’t we impose a vignette like in Switzerland and have péages for the other users of our roads, and keep the taxes on the fuel. That way foreign travelers also pay for the use of our roads. And with these incomes the state could ameliorate the road network in order to have less traffic jams. Less traffic jams = less people on the same time on the road. So LESS pollution. Another way of thinking. A preventive instead of a repressive vision. That is what Europe and Belgium needs.

Concentrating people around cities, which are often already crowded, and sometimes (subjective off course) unpleasant to live. i'm not shure that all those "green" politicians would like to live close to an industral terain in order to avoid taxes. Or are they going to drive 44 km a day with the bike ? But oh..., I almost forgot. They don't have the same salaries as mine.

So keep on bullying people with more taxes in order to demotivate them. You have to live in Europe to experience these magnificent ideas !

Long live Europe !