Every day I use public transport. And every day, I wish I was in my car. It is overcrowded and unpleasant. I often don't get a seat until near the end of my journey, sometimes I don't get a seat at all. Many of my fellow travellers seem to lack basic common sense. If the carriage is jam-packed to the rafters there really isn't anywhere one can squeeze into, so why try? There will be another train along in a minute. In my car I am comfortable, I have the temperature at the level I desire, there are no evil pungent whiffs of beer (last night's booze hound), stale deodorant, excessive aftershave, vomit; I arrive at my destination serene and at peace with the world (despite traffic!) - in sad contrast to the way I feel after using public transport.
Sarah Marquis, London Congestion charging was raised in the draft East of England Plan a year ago as a way or reducing traffic gridlock in the region. The Regional Assembly suspended its endorsement of the plan due to lack of central Government funding for essential infrastructure for the region. Now the Government has cancelled the widening of the M11 between junctions 8 and 9 north of Stansted airport. It seems that the Government is not prepared to invest in our infrastructure and then wants to charge us to use the roads because they are congested. If the Government wants economic growth it must be prepared to invest properly. Nigel Clark, Hunsdon, Hertfordshire
If anyone tries to charge me money for driving around the country I was born in, especially by tagging my car, I won't pay. I will go to the European Court of Human Rights to sue my own government for abuse of freedom of movement/right to a private life. David Cameron, here's a way to scoop up some more votes outside the centre of London. And Labour, here's an idea for raising money: do what you promised last year and cut some of those 700,000 public sector non-jobs. Jonathan Jones, London
The British motorist! For the privilege of sitting behind the steering wheel, this poor, weak-willed individual will put up with anything and everything. Want to get him to turn out his pockets? Let's up the tax on petrol for using the road. Not enough? Well, stick some cameras on the side of the road and catch the soft touch when he exceeds 30mph on a four-lane, two-mile wide dual carriageway. Still want more? Let's restrict where he can drive and charge him a small fortune if he can't avoid that particular area. And if he argues, roll out the statistics on traffic congestion, road deaths and environmental pollution until he is sick of them. Figures can't lie and anyway, he is too unorganised to challenge them, even if he understood them. The cash cow of the British Government and local authorities; let's hear it for the British Motorist! Keith Downer, London
I'm more than happy to pay the extra congestion charge. Being a student I've got loads of free money to spare. I don't have any financially crippling loans, there's no possibility that I'll have to pay ever-increasing amounts to a state pension fund, and of course the fantastically low prices of houses these days means getting on the housing ladder is a doddle. But assuming I'd rather not pay, the superb (and, I might add, reasonably priced) public transport network, with new regular and reliable trains and the comfortable and convenient buses, would still allow me to get where I want when I want. A truly fantastic idea. Chris James, Birmingham
The taxes imposed upon car users are already horrendous, with duty on fuel, excise duty, tax on insurance premiums and the costs associated with trying to park anywhere other than your local supermarket. The reason that roads are busy at certain times is that everybody goes to and from work at about the same time. Now, if you could persuade my employer to open at 11pm until 6.30am, I could avoid this, but employers would resist the extra costs involved for them. Congestion charging will only raise money because the poor motorist has no alternative to using the car anywhere outside London, it will do little to reduce car use, but will mean car users have less money to spend on other items, so the reduction in high street spending will continue. David Leslie, Crieff
The answer to a lack of transport capacity is to build more transport capacity, not to waste time and money shifting congestion from the roads to the trains, as has happened in London. Congestion charges are just another tax and would be dissipated in the same way as other taxes. It's the old public-sector response. If something is in short supply, don't provide more of it. Instead, restrict access to what's already there. Frank Upton, Solihull
Another way of making money out of us, first the speed cameras, the petrol prices and now the congestion charge. It's unfair on the people who drive to work and also have a low income; I would not be able to afford the cost of the journey, and on top of that I have insurance, petrol and road tax to pay. I hope there will be a big protest about this. Name and address withheld
Congestion charging may well be the straw that breaks the Government's back. Michael Blake, Knutsford
It's pathetic, disturbing, and completely unsurprising as far as this Government is concerned. Congestion is a symptom of poor infrastructure and social changes that have raised the dependency on road transport. Addressing symptoms instead of root cause will never cure the issue. Further, the proposals from the regions announced for the trials show that they are all looking at different methods of implementing the charging scheme, which will result in chaos and confusion. I feel that this trial is irrelevant anyway, as the recent expansion of ANPR cameras on our road network suggests that the method of policing a nationwide charging system has already been decided upon, and will soon be ready to implement. Stuart Tennison, Rayleigh
Congestion charging is inevitable as are road toll charges. The fences and entry gates round our cities, towns, districts, parishes and housing estates are being built and enforced. Road tolls are in place by proxy through the use of speed cameras. We are a mobile society, the consequences of that are now being regulated with seemingly random acts of regional and national government. Those who wish to regulate and reduce our mobility should begin now to tell us what alternatives there are for us and give us a choice among their considerations. Jim Ballantyne, Fleet, Hampshire
This is another despicable move by a cowardly, intellectually bankrupt government which is afraid of raising such issues at a general election. Where is the action to improve the transport networks? Network Rail is forbidden to upgrade former trunk lines between Salisbury and Exeter. Proposed light railways in Manchester and Bristol are vetoed. Untried "guided" bus lanes are offered to replace a dilapidated suburban line in Bristol. I am not happy to pay additional sums for car use, given the rate of increase in parking charges, petrol duties and road tax. Given that a 60 per cent rise in congestion taxes occurred in London this year, I dread to estimate how such charges will be set in the future. Michael Owen, Bristol
Road tax was introduced to repair bomb damage after the war and was kept on as a cash cow for government. Had the revenue been spent on roads and public transport then we would have an unequalled transport infrastructure by now. Watch congestion charging get soaked up, too. Name and address withheld
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