Star comment: Motorway tax misery for drivers
Motorists could soon have to pay a higher rate of road tax for the right to drive on Britain’s motorways, if rather worrying plans being examined by the Government get the go-ahead.
A two-tier system is being suggested, charging those car owners who only drive locally and stay off major roads significantly less than those who have to use the motorways.
The timing of this could hardly be worse for a coalition which claims to be desperate to prove that it is just as ‘One Nation’ as Ed Miliband’s opposition.
So it would seem bizarre to press ahead with a scheme which motoring organisation The AA believes is convinced would price as many as a third of motorists off the motorway system, forcing them into taking longer journeys on smaller roads.
And imagine the scenario for business people in Shropshire, needing to travel to London. Already denied a direct rail connection, their journey to the capital, avoiding the motorway network, would be truly tortuous, and totally impractical.
And then there is the cost of enforcing the rules. Transport authorities would have to monitor all vehicles using the motorway system to see if they had paid the higher rate of tax – an investment which would blow a huge hole in any financial gains for the exchequer.
Motorists must already feel like helpless cash cows, milked incessantly by escalating Government fuel duty, sky-high taxes on company cars, and growing insurance premiums.
The last thing we want to see on top of this is a first and second class system on our roads; particularly one which will surely lead to slower journeys and more congestion for the frustrated majority.
Comments for: "Star comment: Motorway tax misery for drivers"
john
Mustn't let the plebs drive on Motorways must we?
Katherine de Gama
Plebs and proles unite!
The Original Jake
Get some perspective: this is just one set of ideas being floated at present and there are no actual details. You're making predictions in the absence of any facts.
Gary
Just one draft program from a portfolio of increased charge proposals for the motorist and haulier. Suggest you wake up adopt your own suggestion.
The Original Jake
You missed the point; I wasn't making a comment about the idea, I was commenting about the reporting. The paper is scaremongering and leaping to conclusions about something which only exists as an idea, rather than simply reporting the facts as they're known at the moment.
As for "suggest you wake up adopt your own suggestion"... why the rudeness? No call for that.
Gary
I would hardly call reversing your perpestive call rudeness - just a reality check to answer that whatever program is adopted it will hit deep into the pockets of motorists.
Robert Tressell
Another measure from the Toff's government to divide the nation furtherinto "Haves" and "Have Nots"' always making sure that it is the ordinary family that suffers for the City Boys mistakes. I wonder how far this policy is prompted by lobbying from the industry that makes road monitoring equipment?
Nick
I have no problem with paying more tax for using the motorway or evn paying a toll. However, what i want in return is what you get in france. And that is virtually no roadworks, almost no traffic jams and regular rest stops. The motorway needs to be worth paying for before we should be expected to pay for it!
Roger
The higher rate would be unavoidable. Consider the roads used for commuting, holidays shopping etc. In the country side these are arterial roads serving the country side dwellers passage to town. They were only built and designated "A" roads because of their heavy use or to relieve congestion in the first place. We have already paid for them time and time again by motoring taxes far in excess of any spending on the roads.
It just another way of increasing taxes in a regressive way that gets the poor to stand the cost of everything whilst the rich are let off lightly. Nothing to do with roads, nothing to do with the economy just Tory tax policy.
In economic terms we should reducing taxes on motorists to buffer the above inflation increase in fuel. Some of these increases are taxes through the escalator so to raise any more tax this way would be immoral catastrophic driving down of the economy. Incompetent government.
Two Tone
Just as well that the UKs A & B road network is of sufficient high standard to take all the traffic forced off the motorways........................................ sorry, I just read that back to myself :-((
Doubter
"The last thing we want to see on top of this is a first and second class system on our roads"
It will suit a certain Local MP, get the plebs off the motorway only first class for Danny K and off course we will pay for it. Cheers
jeffb
More money milked from the cash cow.
CJ
I can see the UK coming to a total standstill and nothing will move. The lorry drivers will have had enough, they are the back bone of the people. No lorries no food no goods no nothing. So rethink this tier tax because rebellion is around the corner. Oh and what is going to be charged to the foreign drivers that use the motorways? This government is take take and take again.
ken smith
ridiculous proposal. why do i want to pay more for the privilege of sitting on the likes of the M25 for hours. ?
who in the small towns and villages want the extra generated traffic thundering past their windows ?
My MP has just been sent my thoughts on the notion.
madness
https://www.facebook.com/MotorwayTax
JOHN
Why not keep it simple ....... scrap road tax licence .... scrap insurance premiums
basic cost of fuel same for both petrol and diesel = SET AT lets say £1.30
therefore basic cost for 1 litre FUEL is approx 43p ( vat and gov tax = 97p )
calculate ROAD TAX based on average annual for cars eg £125 divided by average mileage /yr 8,000 = 1.5p/mile x ave mpl 10miles = 15p / litre
average INSURANCE say = £1000 yr / average mileage 8000 = 12p
PRICE OF fuel and tax/ins included = £2.00 per litre pay as you go .... simple !!
This is just a quick rough calc but a simple solution to fairer distribution with some adjustments for heavy goods and disabled drivers
everybody pays towards the road tax / everybody is insured all based on their personal mileage/ fuel used.
Constructive comments invited .......
NAO
How much does it cost in Admin to collect (1) VAT on fuel (2) Annual Road Tax (3) this new motorway Tax. Would it not cut costs by just having one system, I would suggest higher VAT on fuel and no Road Tax or Motorway Tax. That way you pay for what you use. How cost effective would it be to collect this motorway tax. They can't collect Motorway Taxes before the cameras have been installed. How much has to be spent on these cameras? If they want to increase taxes then just increase VAT without wasting money on these cameras. The systems are already in place (VAT) without having to pay for any new systems.
Gary
Sentiment makes your suggestion of paying extra tax on fuel unbearable - unfortuanetly through simple logic it makes sound sense to scrap road tax and add the duty to fuel This would catch most of those tax evading so and so's. I still think to hell with a motorway tax - motorists already pay enough.