Attn: Londoners. Expalin something to me.

[mac-er]

Are there not areas in London where you have to pay a toll/tax or buy a permit to drive your car because there areas get so congested with cars?

And, in those areas, they will catch you if you have not paid because they photograph every license plate?

Is this true, and can you explain the program please?

[skunk]

Yes. Cars entering Central London between 8 and 6.30 are photographed automatically at all entry points. If you don't pay your 5 quid by 10pm you get a letter and a 40 quid fine. I avoid it like the plague.

[mac-er]

Where do you pay this quid?
Do you have to pay it everytime you enter between those hours?

Can you get a permit/pass (pay monthly/yearly) to enter all you want?

[skunk]

You can pay your five pounds by phone, online or in person. One charge per day only. You can get a "season ticket" too.

[mac-er]

Sorry...one more question.

I assume this is meant to reduce congestion in Central London.

Does it work?

[Blackheart]

Is a quid = pound? Also, I had another question. Recently, I was looking at an earnings report for a British company and the earnings per share was 24p. Is the p = pence? (Isn't pence 1/100 a pound?)

Sorry for my ignorance. :o

[CorvusCamenarum]

Wow. Europeans will tax anything won't they? Over here we only have to pay our road tax once a year, toll roads and turnpikes and the like notwithstanding (but that's mainly a northern thing). Probably comes out less expensive as well.

How do they handle cars that are rented by tourists?

[skunk]

Apparently it has reduced traffic flows considerably. And store receipts within the area...

[clayj]

Is a quid = pound? Also, I had another question. Recently, I was looking at an earnings report for a British company and the earnings per share was 24p. Is the p = pence? (Isn't pence 1/100 a pound?)

Sorry for my ignorance. :oYes, quid is slang for a pound. Current UK currency is 1 pound = 100 pence, so it's similar to dollars and cents.

In the OLD system, which was phased out in the early '70s, pounds were made up of shillings, further subdivided into pence (240 pence to a pound). Here's a good explanation (http://www.braggs1.fsnet.co.uk/50s/survival/oldmoney.htm).

[mac-er]

Wow. Europeans will tax anything won't they? Over here we only have to pay our road tax once a year, toll roads and turnpikes and the like notwithstanding (but that's mainly a northern thing). Probably comes out less expensive as well.

How do they handle cars that are rented by tourists?

Yeah, I don't know if that would fly over here.

Plus, I believe that they have A LOT more CCTV than we do. So, you Americans, the subdivisions out in the suburbs would even have a camera on the street.

[James Philp]

This "Tax" as you call it is essentailly a Toll paid to enter the center of london. (there are almost NO toll systems in the UK for "interstates" or "turnpikes" or whatever - we say "motorway")

This is designed to reduce congestion and pollution, and is currently UNIQUE to London (although a few city centers like oxford are car-free).

It seems to work very well, and the price point is designed to be around the cost of a Tube (underground train) 1 day travel card (which allows bus and tude and train travel within certain zones of london for one day zone 1= center, zone 2,3,4,5 & 6 reaching into the countryside in some areas)

THE BEST way to travel in london city center is via public transport, namely the Tube, it is far easier to navigate!

1 Pound = 100 Pence = 1.91 US dollars! = 1.46 Euro

[Blackheart]

Yes, quid is slang for a pound. Current UK currency is 1 pound = 100 pence, so it's similar to dollars and cents.

In the OLD system, which was phased out in the early '70s, pounds were made up of shillings, further subdivided into pence (240 pence to a pound). Here's a good explanation (http://www.braggs1.fsnet.co.uk/50s/survival/oldmoney.htm).

Thanks!