If you were the non political minister for transport.....

Irish Steve

On the basis of a few other threads that are running in various areas of Motoring and Transport, this is a theoretical thread, to see what ideas are out there. Please don't turn it into an after hours type knocking thread, I'd kind of like the discussion to be a serious one, with serious suggestions that might be appropriate.

Most of the politicians won't do anything that might prejudice their re election chances, so my thought is that we need some non political ministers, who hopefully would do what's right for the country, rather than what's right for their re-election imperative,

So, to start the ball rolling, if I could make some serious changes in the area of transport, what would I do.

Remove all toll systems on the motorways, and do away with variable road tax based on debatable "emissions levels", and the requirement to display a disc on the windscreen. To fund this, the price of diesel and petrol would be raised to generate the same revenue as is currently generated, albeit that doing away with road tax would save a huge administrative overhead. And yes, in the long term, as we move towards non carbon powered vehicles, there will need to be some way to raise a road tax equivalent from electric vehicles.

The duty on diesel and petrol would be reviewed with a view to equalising the price between them, to discourage the inappropriate use of diesel engines in urban areas.

A review of duty on professional users of diesel to ensure that hauliers are not disadvantaged when competing with other countries.

VRT on safety related enhancements to a vehicle would be removed.

Drivers convicted of drink driving would have to take and pass an updated driving test within a defined period after their mandatory disqualification before driving again.

Drivers who lose their licence as a result of excessive points would have to take and pass an updated driving test within a defined period after their disqualification before driving again.

A driver caught driving while disqualified, driving without a valid licence (e.g learner permit on a motorway), driving without a valid licence holder in the vehicle when on a learner permit, or without Insurance or NCT would also have the car seized. The return of the vehicle would require a court appearance to determine the case. The return of the vehicle would NOT be guaranteed.

The insurance companies would be instructed that if a vehicle has a valid NCT, regardless of age, they cannot automatically refuse to insure it without a demonstrable reason for doing so.

Insurance companies will be required to provide details of claims and cases settled where there are grounds to suspect that the claim has been "manufactured", and required to produce an open access database on line database with the details and nature of damage and claim for all vehicles that have been written off as a result of an accident or claim, using a similar classification to that used in the UK, class A B C or D loss.

A restricted access on line database accessible by approved users be set up by the insurance companies to enable on line real time checking of insurance status.

Solicitors would be banned from acting on a no win no fee basis in all motoring related cases.

The system for dealing with injuries like whiplash would be revised, to prevent inappropriate settlements of cases where there is serious doubt about the validity of the claim.

Motoring offences would be dealt with by a new system, and removed from the District court system, with less flexibility on penalties to discourage "chancer" appeals.

The ability of judges to vary the length of a mandatory disqualification would be severely restricted.

Driving licences would be valid to age 70, with renewals after that being based on a medical and optical check to ensure that the driver is still safe to drive.

Any driver who was "given" a driving licence without passing a test will have to be retested and pass the test within a defined period if they are convicted of a serious motoring offence, or accumulate more than 6 active points on their licence.

Rules relating to "GoSafe" camera vans will be revised to require them to be visible when operating, and not sited within 200 Metres of a speed limit change.

Speed limits will be reviewed as a matter of urgency to ensure that there they are appropriate to the quality of the road, and not just based on the road classification, with specific emphasis on former N roads that have been downgraded with the opening of motorways.

Road traffic acts will be revised to remove the requirement for local authorities to have to create specific bye laws for each town relating to speed limits, parking and the like, to remove the loophole that allows a defence of absence of byelaws when an otherwise valid case is brought to court.

Regulations would be introduced to limit the sale of imported part worn second hand tyres, with a longer term aim of eliminating their sale completely.

Historic VRT mileage information will be available on line for all vehicles, so that the usage history can be checked by a potential purchaser.

Regulations to prohibit the use of "high speed" agricultural tractors on Motorways would be introduced, and the lighting requirements for trailers being towed by such vehicles would be revised to require appropriate hazard lights to be operational at all times.

And yes, I've just put a very large bag of popcorn in the microwave.

Atlantic Dawn

I'd put a flat rate of motor tax of €300 on vehicles once they hit 10 years old (if they were over this), it's in the interest of the environment to keep these running rather than scrap them for building new lower tax vehicles.

Supergurrier

Swim in the money pit

Del2005

To get rid of tractors from the motorway you'd have to introduce a mandatory minimum speed on the motorway, the tractors will be able to exceed this so will still be allowed.

There should be penalty points for using the overtaking lanes on multi lane roads when the driving lane is clear.

But the first thing I'd do is start by enforcing our current laws before introducing more laws which everyone ignores, which is the biggest problem with our roads lack of enforcement.

CFlat

I'd make it obligatory for all cars, new and s/h, to have their dipped lights come on when the ignition is switched on a la Saabs/Volvos. The amount of drivers in this country who will drive with no lights on when it's either a dull overcast rainy day, dusk or foggy is very scary. How can you not think about putting your dipped lights on when loads of cars around you have theirs on? Are you f**king blind or what. Take that decision out of drivers hands entirely.

I'd also ban the use of side lights. They have no use whatsoever and if you think other drivers can see you better when you have them on then you shouldn't be driving, just take a bus or a train or something.

ba_barabus

Bullet points please