Motorists own the roads - It's official

[Davidc]

In 1937 Winston Churchill decided that motorists didn't own the roads so he did away with road tax and the associated road fund, and funded roads from general taxation.

In 2015 George Osborne decided that Winston Churchill was wrong and gave the roads back to the motorists, reintroducing the road fund, with motoring taxes going into it.

Thank goodness Winston Churchill ran the country during WW 2!!

 

[Markymark]

That's annoying.

 

[Saluki]

Does that mean, while I am driving around in my Saab, that I can yell obscenities at people driving Toyota Prius' and Smart Cars then, because they don't pay?

Another Tory idiot idea.

 

[Markymark]

"George Osborne has announced sweeping changes to the VED system in the Summer Budget 2015 to account for the rising number of low emissions vehicles.

From 2017 new cars will get three new tax bands - zero, standard, premium - with taxation calculated on a combination of emissions and the list price of the vehicle. However, the Chancellor has stressed that the majority of motorists will pay no more than £140 a year. He also stated that VED will again be used to fun road maintenance.

The move comes as the Chancellor confirmed that from 2017 three quarters of new cars won’t qualify for VED."

 

[anothersam]

Thank goodness I bought a car a couple of years ago, if only to maintain my stakeholder status.

 

[robjh]

The reintroduction of a ring-fenced road fund seems very strange, unless it is to protect the roads budget from other cuts.
If it were intended as a headline-grabber to position the Tories 'on the side of the motorist', then that too seems odd as this sort of presentational trickery is usually reserved for pre-election periods. Any small boost it gives them in (some) public opinion will be long forgotten by 2020.

 

[jarlrmai]

Will it be divided and given to councils or will it be only spent on motorways?

What's does a fully specced Tesla pay? It has zero emissions and high list price?

 

[Drago]

The title is misleading.

Despite the forthcoming changes the majority of money spent on the road infrastructure will still come from general taxation, which means everyone who pays income tax , runs a business, or simply buys an item subject to VAT or duty owns the roads.

 

[mickle]

Oh dear.

 

[ufkacbln]

We had a discussion with a petrolhead at work who insisted that as I didn't pay road tax, I should get out of his way, stop and let him pass at a narrow part of the hospital entrance road.

However when I pointed out that in fact due to the need for a large vehicle for family reasons I was paying more "road tax" than him....... did he therefore have to get out of MY way?

Apparently it doesn't having more rights because you pay more doesn't apply between cars, just between cyclists and cars!

 

[Drago]

When people try and start the whole road tax thing with me, I just respond "f*** off." Why waste your lives on these chumps?

 

[classic33]

Maybe as proof they could display a little paper disc, that clearly shows that they have paid & just how much.
I'm in favour of the Irish system where three such discs have to be displayed. VED, NCT & Insurance, as proof all are upto date.

 

[User269]

Does this mean that our council tax, which currently funds roads (apart from motorways and some trunk roads) will be reduced?

 

[User269]

We had a discussion with a petrolhead at work who insisted that as I didn't pay road tax, I should get out of his way, stop and let him pass at a narrow part of the hospital entrance road.

However when I pointed out that in fact due to the need for a large vehicle for family reasons I was paying more "road tax" than him....... did he therefore have to get out of MY way?

Apparently it doesn't having more rights because you pay more doesn't apply between cars, just between cyclists and cars!

But you both pay council tax, which is how roads (apart from motorways and some trunk roads) are funded. So you should both get out of each others way.
PS; you do know there's no such thing as 'road tax' don't you? It's VED, aka 'car tax'.

 

[Arrowfoot]

It actually means better roads and funds are not diverted elsewhere. It also means roads designed to accommodate cycling standards. You no longer can get away with building roads that do not accmmodate cycling as in the past.