NEW ROAD TAX COULD BE PAY AS YOU DRIVE

Motorists could soon be billed for road use on a pay-as-you-go basis.

Government collects about £40 billion each year from   Car taxes like Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) and fuel duty.

The House of Commons’ Transport Committee now wants to open a “national debate” on road pricing ahead of a formal inquiry next year.

Funding from fuel duty might eventually dry up entirely, as the motoring industry moves away from traditional fuels.

A road pricing scheme was last considered in 2007, but the Labour administration abandoned proposals following an online petition attracting 1.8 million signatures.

RAC head of roads policy, Nicholas Lyes said: “There is no question that the existing fuel duty system is on borrowed time as we move towards electric and other zero emission forms of car travel.

“We know through research that drivers are open to a new form of motoring taxation but three-quarters of those we questioned are worried they may end up paying more tax than they do now. For this reason, we believe any new tax should be in place of the current one and not in addition to it.”

Lilian Greenwood, who chairs the Transport Committee, said: “We need to ask how we will pay for roads in the future and in answering that question we have an opportunity for a much wider debate about our use of road space, cutting carbon emissions, tackling congestion, modal shift and how we prioritise active travel.”

The committee is inviting the opinions of drivers and non-drivers to scrutinise the economic, environmental and social impact of road pricing in early 2020.

Road pricing efforts could include tolls, congestion charges, HGV levies, workplace parking levies, plus low emission and clean air zones.

Similar levies such as London’s Congestion Charge raised £1.9bn in 2017.

Yellow Box Fines to hit whole of UK

Drivers across the country will soon be liable for £130 fines for offences like stopping in yellow box junctions, the Government has indicated

 October 2019

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps looks set to hand all local councils legislative powers to crack down on ‘moving traffic violations’ – currently only available to London and Cardiff.

Local authorities know where congestion might require some form of enforcement, particularly in the case of box junctions, so it stands to reason they should be able to improve this through the use of enforcement

While accepting the move broadly makes sense, there are concerns that some councils could use their new powers as a cash cow.

Under the Traffic Management Act 2004, councils must apply for powers to tackle parking, bus lane contraventions and moving traffic violations. Many have taken measures to enforce parking and bus lane contraventions, but not moving traffic violations.

Members of the committee had raised concerns that police officers are too busy policing minor offences to deal with more serious crimes.

Mr Shapps said: “I have been looking at powers outside of London provided to local areas to do some of these things, and think that I’ll shortly be making an announcement.”

Transport for London has been penalising drivers for stopping in yellow box junctions for 15 years. In the 2017/18 financial year alone, it issued £16 million in fines.

In many cases drivers claim stopping was unavoidable – either because of traffic light sequencing, or because of drivers ahead of them blocking their path.

Drivers are allowed to wait in a box junction to turn right, providing their exit road is clear.