Pay-Per-Mile Road Pricing is “Inevitable”, UK Drivers Warned
Motorists will “inevitably” end up paying per mile to drive on Britain’s roads as the switch to electric cars reduces fuel taxes, the Government’s infrastructure tsar has said
The Telegraph has more.
Sir John Armitt, the Chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC), said the Government had to consider new ways of funding Britain’s critical infrastructure such as motorways, as the Treasury faces the loss of nearly £30bn in fuel duty receipts.
Different versions of a pay-per-mile system could be considered such as schemes that charge more at busier times, he said, or a privately-financed toll motorway model similar to the one used in France.
Sir John added: “Politically, it’s a very difficult issue. Many people will say road pricing is inevitable.
“Personally, I don’t see why it should be any different to anything else. We pay for all our other infrastructure services as we use them.
“At the extreme… you could pay a different rate, per time of day, per type of road you were driving on, anywhere in the country and you just get a bill because it would all be monitored remotely.
“At the end of the day, it’s the public who pay. We pay either through our taxation, or we pay at the point of use or our pensions are used to invest.”
Fuel duty brings in £25bn for the Treasury per year – equivalent to almost half of Britain’s defence budget. But consultants at PwC have warned the Government stands to lose £9bn of this by 2030, when one in four vehicles on the road is expected to be electric.
A pay-per-mile road tax is one of the potential solutions officials have previously suggested to replace the loss of receipts. The idea has been backed by think tanks and environment groups, who argued that a flat per-mile charge could be easily metered through annual MOT checks or digitally using electric car hardware or fitted black boxes.
See more here dailysceptic.org
Header image: Sky News
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Ken Hughes
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Where is all the money going?
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Howdy
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Considering the EV revolution is a flop, this is a bit premature, but as usual for governments, there will be an ulterior motive to try to bring it in regardless.
There is another solution however – include duty on EV charging. Fair’s fair.
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VOWG
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You folks do know what the word stupid means, right, right?
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VOWG
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Anyone want to take odds on the gas taxes disappearing with per mile tax in place.
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Alan
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I support road pricing. Those who use them should pay for them and the more the use the more they pay. That’s how it should work with everything we consume.
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Howdy
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In the UK, that’s basically how it worked in the past, Alan, but based on damage caused by the weight. Larger vehicle = greater road tax levy.
Now of course, it’s tied to the environment, which every property owner/occupier pays towards, so the income from vehicles has been sneaked onto others, while the road user pays into a scam based pot as well.
What’s the bet that nothing will really change in that regard except a further pay per mile tax on roads, meaning thrice income from the same subject?
People are seen as nothing more than stupid, walking money bags to be bled at will.
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VOWG
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That is what gas taxes are supposed to do, maintain roads, not go to welfare.
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Tina
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The EV market is dying fast…..5 years from now it will be remembered just like the non existent pandemic.
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Lorraine
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Would it be a stretch to imagine the goal would be making driving distances too expensive for the average person, thereby making fifteen minute cities a practical reality?
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Seriously
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It’s easier to monitor /control people that don’t move around much-force them into ‘pod’ people who rarely leave their homes. Cv was the beginning of pod people, fear induced. I know individuals who still don’t shop or leave home much but even if passing a store when they are out – they still have EVERYTHING delivered. As long as we have personal vehicles, we have freedom of movement…and that’s just not acceptable in the looming future. So yes, to your query
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Andy Rowlands
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I think you have hit the nail on the head there Lorraine.
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S.C.
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Sure. The U.N. and W.H.O. just conspired with western governments to commit genocide-by-vaccine against entire populations, so why would anyone question government motives for wanting to track every mile you drive?
Push back now or your government will happily kill you, People!
Out of curiosity, are Brits familiar with the length of a mile, generally speaking?
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David
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Pay for what you use. A system upgrade can be implemented easily by using mileage recorded at MoT, modified by a factor based on vehicle weight. Really simple and low cost to develop, with changes to vehicles or the road network.
But politicians are not interested in simplicity. They will choose a system that is unnecessarily complex, cumbersome, costly and unreliable that will take years to trial and ultimately never be implemented nationwide.
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David
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“…with NO changes…” 🥴
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Howdy
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MOTs can be faked, mileage can be faked, weight is not a constant.
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