By Will Sturgeon, 16 August 2006 12:45
NEWS
Drivers are highly critical of the UK government's plans to bring in pay-as-you-drive road charges.
The vast majority of readers polled by silicon.com were critical of the scheme with only 17 per cent of respondents saying it sounds like a fairer alternative to the current system of road tax and a tax on petrol.
Almost a third (31 per cent) of the 650 respondents said they believe the new system would see everybody paying more to drive in the UK, suggesting it's a further example of stealth taxing.
silicon.com reader Tim Haines wrote: "There's already a perfectly good road pricing system in place which also takes into account the fuel consumption and emissions of the vehicle using the road, involves no new expensive technology, cannot be avoided and requires no enforcement - it's called fuel tax."
Steve Watkins added: "What is fuel tax except a 'pay-as-you-drive' tax? The more you drive the more you pay."
A similar number of respondents (29 per cent) expressed doubts that the system will be workable and is likely to be open to abuse.
Sean Swales suggested the in-car black-box proposed by some could be subject to a work-around. "Sounds like a marvellous opportunity for someone to make money with a black box jammer," he wrote.
Almost a quarter of respondents (23 per cent) said the system will be unfair on those people who have less choice about their journeys and the time of day they travel, after it was announced the system would include increased charges around peak travel times.
This would affect those workers who feel they have to drive to work, due to location or poor public transport, at peak times. The controversial 'school run' will also likely be hit.
Other readers expressed concerns about a Big Brother conspiracy.
"The government's agenda is to track the movements of you and me. They are just using global warming and congestion to get trackers in our cars," wrote one.
Another wrote: "Add this to the ID cards and you have a government hell bent on chipping and tracking your every move."
Comments
There are 9 comments. Join the discussion
1. Rob
Not worth getting worried about really is it.
I've said it before, it's a government IT project, so it's already destined to fail.
You need to start worrying when the government comes up with a hair brained scheme that doesn't involve IT, cause it might actually happen then.
2. Charles Smith
I've met the lady who runs the IT for the Road Agency. She is a wholly sensible person with a good grasp of IT. Yet the government seems bedazzled with technology as a solution to everything. This is a daft idea!
They should stop messing around and just apply an extra £1 per litre Carbon tax on petrol. Cancel road tax, give a £200 tax credit for annual motor insurance and use the surplus to fund research into non-fossil fuel transport methods. At that rate of fuel cost road users would thing twice before putting their car on the road.
A corresponding Carbon tax should be applied to imports to ensure fairness to UK manufacturers.
3. Tom Marshall
Charles - you are apparently in London, where decent public transport is an option. Remember, in most of the UK, this is not the case.
I can't get a bus to work (the only bus route near where I live doesn't go anywhere near my office), I have no choice but to drive.
As for road charging, the assumption here is that it'll be a replacement for exisiting motorist taxes. I won't be surprised when it turns out to be on top of existing fuel duty and road tax.
This government still sees the motorist as an easy target for increased tax.
4. Radical Meldrew
The only people left driving on our roads will be the very wealthy; footie players, rock stars and industrialists.
Oh, and politicians of course - their apparently unlimited expenses from the public purse will cover any charges more than adequately.
5. anonymous
Adding £1 per litre carbon tax is fine if there are alternative means of transport but many of us have to travel a good distance to find work and do not have the luxury of a London Transport system.
Until a proper integrated, affordable public transport system is in operation in this country, many of us do not have a choice about using our car if we want to work.
6. Richard Davies
I wonder how big etc. these 'black-boxes' would be. Could you charge the government rent for having it in your car.
I think £50 per day would be fair for any space that I own being taken up by something I do not want or need.
They charge us...we charge them!
What is the plan when these boxes break?
7. Mark Young
The problem with a black box system, is a high proportion of the charges will just go to pay for the infrastructure and collection systems.
Very little will get back to HM Customs, unlike the present system where all the different taxes have to be handed over in full.
Seems the people who gain are the IT providers, while the motoring public and HM Customs both stand to lose substantially.
8. Pau Brindle
As commented, I thought we had a mileage tax with fuel tax? I am also sure it costs more to collect Road Tax than it earns! We pay for the staff to run it in various offices nationally, the disc, which is not cheap to print, all for £120 average! The stupid increase for "gas guzzlers" was farcical, £200 is just 2 tank fulls for these penis extensions, why do we pay it, scrap it and we pay the fuel tax only!! Will visitors from Europe pay the mileage charges, they do with fuel.
9. anonymous
I'm self-employed, and female. I provide support services for Presentations, so spend a lot of time working on Conferences etc. I regularly have to travel with 2 laptops (sometimes a printer and scanner as well) to the site where I am working, which can be anywhere in the world. I am told the time I need to be there, I do not get to choose it (as, indeed is the case with most working people). I live in the Midlands.
How is it realistically possible for me to travel using Public Transport? Aside from the fact that I, frankly, don't feel safe dragging two laptops around on Public Transport, it is not good for my back to carry such a weight around, and if I have to use the full kit, I can't physically carry it! So I have to drive to each venue, alone in my car (so get criticised for being a lone traveller as well).
Some of us have to use our cars to go to work, it's as simple as that. But of course, we can't expect the Politicians to see that much of the real world from inside their souped-up, reinforced, tinted windowed Jaguars now, can we?