New tax about to be introduced

[Gold Dalek]

The cameras to read your number plate are already in place.

I went to the local tip at the weekend and saw they had installed these at the entrance, as you drive in a display flashes your reg up and somewhere on a vast database your details are recorded...


This is either to record multiple visits for tracking the trade users... or mooted first steps for charging you for tipping excess domestic waste or both

[Joe Black]

The cameras to read your number plate are already in place.

On every single road in the UK?

Now I know there's lots and lots of cameras in the UK - and I should know since I once wrote traffic enforcement software for them - but certainly not enough for a per mile charging scheme.

[DimPrawn]

No it'll be more like speeding fines.

You get a letter saying you have been using a certain road and here's the fine, and you have to prove it wasn't you.

[bfg]

On every single road in the UK?

Now I know there's lots and lots of cameras in the UK - and I should know since I once wrote traffic enforcement software for them - but certainly not enough for a per mile charging scheme.

Yep
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspap...869818,00.html

[Joe Black]

Interesting article bfg.

Still, by my quick back of an envelope calculation that would require circa 1m cameras if you were to cover every road in the UK. Would be more cost effective for the gov't to simply insert a tracking chip in everyone when they pick up their new ID card...

[DimPrawn]

With an RFID chip in your ID card, there would be no need to track cars, just track people.

[Joe Black]

Even better DP, as no-one would have to be told about it until it's too late.

With ideas like that you should be working for the gov't...

[IR35 Avoider]

I assume that as they are charging us by the mile travelled they will be abolishing road tax and the duty on fuel?

They should not abolish the duty on fuel. There are two things that need to be charged for, therefore you need two different charges.

Consider two cars making the same journey at the same time, a Hummer and an electric car that's been charged with electricity generated from wind.

They both take up the same amount of roadspace (well, in the sense that counts) therefore they should face the same congestion charge. The Hummer needs to be charged for the "negative externalities" of its fossil fuel use.

The only way to have a single tax would be for the price-per-mile system to have a very bureaucratic structure that charged different kinds of cars a different premium per mile. That wouldn't take account of how different owners of the same model maintained, drove or modified their vehicles however. Why do that when fuel tax would take all of that into account without all the bureaucracy?

[Joe Black]

"Why do that when fuel tax would take all of that into account without all the bureaucracy?"

Cause that would be too simple wouldn't it, and wouldn't give El Gordo the chance to implement yet another system of tax credits (fuel credits) for the hard working families.

[xoggoth]

Hmm, sort of sensible first point IR35avoider, except that surely "congestion" implies occupation of road that impedes others and therefore applies on some routes not others.

Agree with last. The only real cost that applies to the whole road network is maintenance. Total wear increases with speed, load and distance, just as fuel consumption does. Tax paid on fuel for any vehicle (which could also be levied on electricity to charge a vehicle) is going to correlate pretty well to the vehicle's cost to the exchequer. Emissions, given a reasonably modern efficient engine, will correlate similarly.

Given that they already have a near perfect mechanism for charging a vehicle according to its cost and impact on the environment, you have to ask what the real reason for this idea is. It is about nothing but exerting more control over the populace.