To think that if a pay-by-the-mile Road tax is introduced, we won’t want to buy electric cars?

[ThoseFestiveLights]

www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/feb/04/uk-road-pricing-transport-committee-mps-electric-shift

The government is going to lose millions in fuel duty with the roll out of electric cars, so is proposing recouping this through more complex road taxing.

I suppose I hadn’t thought of this angle, but it makes sense for the government to do something. However, I was tempted to buy an electric car because of the fuel savings. This has put me off.

AIBU to think that if the burden of paying for roads falls across all motorists, then people will just stick to cheaper, petrol cars for now and not invest in electric ones?

@MojoMoon alot of people can’t afford to live in cities

I get that they’re trying to stop people driving as much but they really need to improve public transport to make this plan successful. It’s only actually decent in London, it’s absolutely shite everywhere else and if you live in a village or small town then forget it.

@phlebasconsidered

Well, I live very rurally and teach 20 miles away over fens with no buses or trains. The nearest supermarket is 14 miles away. That'll be a lovely tax on rural people right there.

Aside from congestion charges, which presumably won't affect rural people much, the bulk of the revenue raised through per-mile charges will just be replacing that which you are already paying through fuel taxes.

This proposal is not going to make motorists generally worse off, it will just change the way money is collected.

The only people who will be substantially impacted are urban users who are priced out of travelling in their own cars by congestion charging. (If that's eventually included, don't think it will be at the outset, as it would be too politically difficult.) That's hard for the people who are priced out, but good for everyone else, including people who already use buses, as on less congested roads buses will work better. The greater demand for buses from the priced out drivers should also increase the scope and frequency of services.

@SartresSoul I agree public transport should be better everywhere but it’s not the cure all there will still be those us who need our cars for work, or because a bus doesn’t go to where we need it to in the time frame we need, you could have a bus every 5 minutes here but it’s the time it takes to get anywhere that’s the issue