In another blow to motorists' wallets nationwide, the government is rumoured to be raising the cost of vehicle excise duty to cover a loss in revenue from road tax and fuel duty.
The Office for Budget Responsibility predicts that by 2029, the Government will be making £13bn a year less from duties than they do at the moment. This is predominantly due to new car buyers opting for cleaner, greener cars which not only cost less to tax, but also use less fuel.
Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC foundation, said, "The irony is that even as ministers encourage us to buy leaner, greener cars, they are being forced to consider ways of clawing back the money motorists think they will be saving."
The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has suggested that a "radical overhaul" of road taxes is needed and that a nationwide system of road charging be implemented to account for the loss of revenue to the exchequer.
Toll roads
The Treasury is currently looking at alternative ways of funding roads but has claimed it will not introduce tolls on existing roads. The IFS, however, claims that road charging would be a more efficient way of taxing road users, enabling the Treasury to charge road users by the mile, with higher tolls being charged on congested routes at peak times.
Rip Off
To us, it seems that a watershed in the way that the Government penalises motorists for car ownership is imminent. One thing is for certain, the Government is unlikely to make the cost of car ownership cheaper due to the sheer influence that the Green lobby currently wields in Westminster.
And don't for one second think that high taxation is environmentally-motivated. No, environmentalism is merely a façade, and an easy way for the Government to justify screwing every last penny they can out of the motorist.
Any future developments in the method of tax collection from road users are also likely to favour the rich -- with little or no consideration given to those who depend on their cars for their living -- something that the pudgy-faced Old Etonian in Number 10 is undoubtedly unable to comprehend.
UK motorists already pay some of the highest fuel duty in Europe and VED rates have risen significantly over the last five years. On top of this, precious little of the revenue collected from motorists is actually spent on improving the roads, with many of the country's roads in dire need of repair.
It's time for the Government to end the war on the car and appreciate that lowering the cost of motoring will provide a boost for the economy and a much needed break for the British motorist.
God knows we need it…
