Wonder where the mileage tax idea comes from?

[NewGuy]

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,1258751,00.html

Crisis plan for tolls on all roads

Juliette Jowit, transport editor
Sunday July 11, 2004
The Observer

The biggest shake-up in the history of British motoring is to be outlined in a government-funded study that proposes a national toll scheme to charge drivers up to 90p a kilometre (£1.45 a mile) for using the nation's roads.

The Observer has obtained a draft copy of the year-long investigation into the feasibility of road-user charging, which reveals that the revolutionary new scheme could slash congestion in half, saving Britain from a devastating transport crisis.

Compiled by motoring organisations, environmentalists, government officials, economists and transport experts, the study was ordered by Transport Secretary Alistair Darling last year in a clear signal that satellite charging could be the only way to tackle rising levels of traffic and delays.

The scheme, which would involve fitting Britain's 30 million cars with electronic chips linked to satellite and charging for every kilometre travelled, could raise more than £10 billion a year for the Treasury and boost the economy by another £12bn through better transport links.

The draft road-pricing report, due to be published this month, stresses it is up to the government to decide whether to press ahead with a national charging system, but says such pricing would 'unblock roads, to the benefit of the economy and the environment'. The report adds: 'The real issue is that, without road pricing, we all lose - by higher and higher amounts as the years go by and congestion grows.'

More goodies in the article in its entirety.

 

[DKSuddeth]

if this policy takes effect in the US, watch for people to start building their own roads.

 

[phadras]

proposal fly.... Talk about killing your economy...........whooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwweeeeeeeeeee.......
A shot directly in the foot....

 

[tim_duncan2000]

The scheme, which would involve fitting Britain's 30 million cars with electronic chips linked to satellite and charging for every kilometre travelled, could raise more than £10 billion a year for the Treasury and boost the economy by another £12bn through better transport links.

What a horrible idea. This does not seem fair at all. I don't see how you would know if they screwed you. Most people don't keep track of how many miles they drive to check and see if the bill is right. Also, they would probably come up with some BS about an additional tax and how the rates just went up and blah blah blah. Just a bunch of socialist crap.

 

[brneyedgrl80]

I know I posted a topic about this isssue, but I don't understand it fully. Could someone dumb it down for me and explain to me this proposal and why it would be bad.

 

[musicman]

Yeah, and installing the chips in motor vehicles will prove to be inherently problematic. Why not just save time and trouble, and install them in the drivers? Just to smooth the way, you understand.