As Published by the Financial Times
Whether it's fuel duty, road tax, or London’s Ulez expansion, drivers across the UK already face many extra costs just to get around.
Most drivers don’t go out and about just for leisure. We’ve got to take our kids to school and get to work.
Many of us need to drive our parents and grandparents, who cannot get out and about on public transport.
Sometimes we’ve got to drive to A&E late at night. Others work as drivers, getting goods door to door.
Sure, we all know stuff needs to be paid for, but it should be done fairly. That means not treating drivers as cash machines.
Bringing in a pay-per-mile tax would do just that and slap up the costs for millions who rely on their vehicles daily.
Look across London, and even out to rural communities, and many people don’t have a choice but to use their cars.
Public transport is virtually non-existent in many rural areas, and in Outer London, you’re about as likely to find an Underground line as you are to find a Polar Bear in the Sahara.
It makes driving a necessity, not a choice.
Penalising these individuals for their unavoidable travel distances is unfair.
Economically, this tax would hit low-income families the hardest.
For many, driving isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity to stay employed and access essential services.
Adding an extra tax per mile could force some to choose between driving less and sacrificing work opportunities.
Some of pay-per-miles most vocal supporters claim it’ll be good for the environment, reducing emissions by discouraging driving, but it does not address the root causes of pollution.
Investing in cleaner technologies, improving public transport, like greener buses. That’s the fairer way to achieve environmental goals without punishing those who can’t afford an extra cost.
A pay-per-mile tax is an unfair approach to addressing our challenges
It would hit the pockets of low-income drivers and fail to tackle the core problem it is trying to fix, pollution.
So why on earth should we bring in another extra cost just to get around?
