miteyak 0 Posted October 19, 2003 Share Posted October 19, 2003 Free market or free freeways... Link to post Share on other sites
oo 1 Posted October 19, 2003 Share Posted October 19, 2003 Pay (even though I don't want to pay of course), though it needs to be cheaper, more flexible etc. than present. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted October 19, 2003 Share Posted October 19, 2003 Even if the tolls were taken away the tax would not go up so high. I dont mind a 2%across the board tax hike. This country needs a tax hike. Social retirment system needs help. You either call it a tax hike or you make everyone pay more what is the difference. On the subject of roads. Everyone needs them come on. delivery of goods would be cheaper. You cant say it only effects the drivers thats not true. Anything that you buy needs a road. A train aint coming to my door. As a tourist I dont want to pay extra taxes but as someone who might live here for a while it benifits me in the long run. The Japanese were promised a free highway system not a private pay highway system. pay now get lucky later. Private highways will not help people in this country get out and spend money. This is the only country in the world where people regularly have 100000 US in savings. This country needs a kick in the butt. get out there and spend. freedom to travel at a good price will not hurt the economy one bit. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted October 19, 2003 Share Posted October 19, 2003 IM not just talking about to the snow resorts. Link to post Share on other sites
SKI 15 Posted October 19, 2003 Share Posted October 19, 2003 I do mind a 2% across the board tax hike. We can do without that Link to post Share on other sites
miteyak 0 Posted October 19, 2003 Author Share Posted October 19, 2003 You're talking about the rural economy. The City economies grow just fine w/ or w/out cars. If they lowered the tolls, I wouldn't spend more, I'd spend less. Low income tax, pay as you go is the way forward. Higher income tax=less disposable income=less expenditure. Lets not forget the 2% VAT rise that pushed this country over the edge. Link to post Share on other sites
snobee 0 Posted October 19, 2003 Share Posted October 19, 2003 For the ordinary mortal income tax in Japan is pitifully low. And the VAT increase of 2% that broke the economy's back - hardly. LIke that's only $20 of $1,000. You know - the new stick(s) cost a grand, but jeeeeez, there's no way I'm paying a grand + 20 bucks. More like mass hysterical money retentive syndrome. BUT if the highways were cheaper this little duck sure as hell would be paddling his way cross country more often. In the west here I pay a spit short of 2 man h/way toll to go to to my fave ski-jo Mizuho. Add on the Y5,000 for gas, and shyte, it's cost me A$300(ozzie) to drive the 500k round trip. I'd be there every chance, but, like, the kids gotta eat. Sheeeesshh! " title="" src="graemlins/cry.gif" /> Link to post Share on other sites
dancing_barefoot 0 Posted October 19, 2003 Share Posted October 19, 2003 Quote: And the VAT increase of 2% that broke the economy's back - hardly Hardly breaking the economys back, yes, but it did have a lot of consequences. Perhaps you are not running a business yourself, snobee... Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted October 19, 2003 Share Posted October 19, 2003 Taxes will rise in this country they have to. The population is shrinking. LEt me stress this. Im changing a little here. I would rather see smaller government, better cost controls at all levels of govt. Wage adjustments downward for politicians everyone else is downing it get on the band wagoon. I would rather see this before free highways. I just feel this country doesnt try to stimulate itself. Try something new. Offer a month of free driving and see how it effects the economy. If the travel spikes remember that the numbers will decrease by a certain percentage but it might benifit local and tourist based economies for the better. If I take the wrong highway into osaka I have to pay 1700 yen if I take the right way I pay 850 yen. By missing one junction your screwed these things just make people angry. Link to post Share on other sites
fantastic 0 Posted October 19, 2003 Share Posted October 19, 2003 As in most things in life, just don't make that mistake.... Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted October 19, 2003 Share Posted October 19, 2003 Thats by far not the point. The point is equal distance to umeda but about 900 or over a 1000 yen (depending on car type im a k) is just not right. Were is the service in that you s****ked so pay. Link to post Share on other sites
xxx 2 Posted October 20, 2003 Share Posted October 20, 2003 Pay but cheaper, more flexible, etc. Link to post Share on other sites
snobee 0 Posted October 20, 2003 Share Posted October 20, 2003 dancing b.f. - I do run a business but am not affected by consumer tax. I appreciate the difficulties for those walking the fine line of + and - finances on a daily basis. Scratching profits can be a merciless chore. I've done it. However my point is that the low income taxes payable here should offset the VAT to a fair degree increasing the amount of disposable income available. What the consumer chooses to do with that income - save at 0.1% as many do or buy things - is perhaps at the heart of the matter. Getting consumers to continually consume in a super consuming society. Link to post Share on other sites
ColonelMustard 0 Posted October 20, 2003 Share Posted October 20, 2003 They are outrageously expensive as they are now. Link to post Share on other sites
7-11 2 Posted October 20, 2003 Share Posted October 20, 2003 The amount of cash they ask you to hand over to ride on them there 2 lane highways is scandalous The only benefit is that they are more often than not not at all crowded and you can actually get places fast. Good if someone else is paying Link to post Share on other sites
ug 0 Posted October 21, 2003 Share Posted October 21, 2003 Quote: I do run a business but am not affected by consumer tax How come? Link to post Share on other sites
snobee 0 Posted October 21, 2003 Share Posted October 21, 2003 Ug - I run a small english school and take small groups to Oz. Generally people who want these services pay without deeply considering taxation. As I understand in the field of educational services such a tax doesn't apply. Maybe I'm wrong but I've never been queried when submitting my tax forms over the years. Link to post Share on other sites
2pints-mate 0 Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 How much are they exactly? x yen per km? Link to post Share on other sites
snobee 0 Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 It varies on location, the number of tunnels, bridges, interchanges and the like. An example for me to go to my best "local" it's about 500k's round trip, of which only about 20ks is not on a highway. Toll is 19,000yen, which is more than 100pounds - for 5 hours driving. Is that cheap???? Link to post Share on other sites
jared 0 Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 It's waaaayy too much when it approaches the cost of flying. Link to post Share on other sites
r45 4 Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 Be thankful that you have the choice of having the things.... Link to post Share on other sites
miteyak 0 Posted October 22, 2003 Author Share Posted October 22, 2003 I thought (bridges excluded) that all freeways were based on mileage. Osaka-shiojiri kita, the hakuba exit is around 500kms and comes in at 8250 yen (around 50 pounds), one way, of course. After 70,000kms on the things, in my RV, i've worked it out to about double the diesel cost. (Shikoku excluded) Diesel comes in at around 2 pounds a gallon. That makes travel for me in Japan on the freeway around 6 pounds a gallon. Of course, not all travel is on freeways. In an average weekend i'll use a ratio of 3:5, putting the per gallon price for the weekend at 5.3 pounds a gallon. What's the current price for diesel/petrol in the UK? How does 5.30 compare to a gallon of juice in ol' blightey? Not to badly, I'll wager... Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 snobee, with every one of your posts I rue my recent move more deeply... " title="" src="graemlins/cry.gif" /> Link to post Share on other sites
yodel 0 Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 Where is Takamatsu? Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 Ocean shikoku is a beautiful rock but getting on and off that place is too costly. These are my points. I remember when the bridges were opened people flocked across them. I think Awaji shima shikoku and kyushu would benifit from cheaper tolls or no tolls. Ocean I hate to say it BUS Link to post Share on other sites
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