Taxation on Motoring

[bikingdad90]

I have never understood people's reliance on cars. What really gets to me, is the ever increasing number of househoulds with multiple cars. I regularly see houses with 5+ cars on the drive. I get that with house prices and kids living at home longer, these are often intergenerational households, but every family member does not need their own car!

I’d disagree, having had a one car and three car family. While less cars is good, if a family member is out in the car it sometimes restricts other family members from doing things such as grocery shopping or going to the tip, particularly where the public infrastructure is poor and can be a hindrance that ends up detracting from quality time together as they need to wait for the car to return to be able to go.

For me, I can drive to work in 25 mins, cycle it in 45 mins, get an hours bus ride (buses in 45 mins intervals) and then walk 15mins to the office, or cycle/train it which still takes circa 45mins. In a city, fewer cars makes much more sense as everything is on your doorstep and you have much better transport links.

If you drive a massive car you should pay accordingly. All the hand wringing 'I can't use anything else' excuses are not valid and merely all about status and prestige.

Although I agree about landie’s and range rovers been for status and prestige, I think there is an element of truth. Of my 3 children, 2 require seats with isofix points. Most cars on the market are 2.5 seats in the back and not 3 meaning one doesn’t fit in. I’ve got a big car for my requirements but it’s because it is big inside and functional rather than bodywork add ons.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

The “We must cut fuel duty” every time oil prices spike is frustrating. No, pass on the costs. It is part of owning a fuel driven car. Maybe it will make the owner think about less use.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

For me, I can drive to work in 25 mins, cycle it in 45 mins

Which makes cycling the obvious choice

 

[bikingdad90]

Which makes cycling the obvious choice

That’s my preference. The only exception is when it’s icy as the route requires following the river side cycle path for 5-6miles and it can be sketch with the black ice from water that gets blown onto the path.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

That’s my preference. The only exception is when it’s icy as the route requires following the river side cycle path for 5-6miles and it can be sketch with the black ice from water that gets blown onto the path.

Can recommend Marathon Winters for the winter if that is a regular thing.

 

[wiggydiggy]

It don't work, at least not in the UK. People would go bankrupt or lose their houses through mortgage non-payment before walking half a mile each day.

It raises cash, but unless its so extreme it simply makes motoring unaffordable, it isn't much of a behavioural incentive in the lazy, self entitled, climate change denying UK.

I don't know.

I've just spent a few days in Nottingham, it has a tram system, hire bikes, hire scooters (not active I know but bear with me!), loads of cycling lanes and lots of people using them all.

The city centre area seems well designed to make walking easier, and I saw plenty of people using all those forms of transport rather than driving.

The car was still popular - most of the reviews of the hotels I was in make mention of if there is parking for instance. But it gives me hope we can change if you put the right systems in place!

 

[Drago]

The “We must cut fuel duty” every time oil prices spike is frustrating. No, pass on the costs. It is part of owning a fuel driven car. Maybe it will make the owner think about less use.

The problem extends beyond car drivers. Manufacturers and retailers get stiffed and pass the pain onto the consumers, regardless of whether or not they cycle everywhere.

Bin fuel duty for domestic vehicles, and slap on a punitive mileage levy. Problem is, 99% of politicians can only see as far as the next election and their cushy jobs so anything that upsets the masses is avoided and pearls are clutched.

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

I have never understood people's reliance on cars.

I think a lot depends on individual circumstances. eg living rurally often means very poor public transport and more distance eg supermarkets.

Maybe our society has developed because of the widespread availability of cars to the point where dependence has increased eg would "out-of-town" supermarkets and shopping centres have happened were it not for widespread availability of cars?

 

[albion]

I recall Yarm , possibly the North Easts most polluted small town, found an easy solution.
They simply moved the pollution monitor from the high street over to a school field.
Problem solved !

A real solution, to pollution only, would be to ban ICE vehicles from the high street.

 

[SteveH80]

I think a lot depends on individual circumstances. eg living rurally often means very poor public transport and more distance eg supermarkets.

Oh I don't know. I live very rural and I can get a bus to the nearest town on a Wednesday, and I can get back next Market Day 🙃
This is from Transport for London though, so it doesn't apply to the rest of the country

 

[Oldhippy]

In a sane thinking country the money made on taxation could be funneled into public transport and active travel infrastructure, whilst slowing new major road building that gets built with ghe illusion traffic will move more freely when it does the opposite.

 

[Milzy]

The “We must cut fuel duty” every time oil prices spike is frustrating. No, pass on the costs. It is part of owning a fuel driven car. Maybe it will make the owner think about less use.

Family’s with low incomes struggle to get to work there & back 5 days a week. They can’t afford to drive to the coast for a family day. Can’t afford extra journeys for kids clubs or visiting friends and family.
Maybe we should all be stuck in 15 minute cities. That would be for the best.

 

[presta]

Car tax is an easier route to take than taxing per mile.

It's regressive though, penalising those who own one for the occasions when they really need one, whilst others do lots of mileage free.

Status or vanity, is an often overlooked metric.

I keep plugging this point, but few want to hear it because it applies just as much to any other form of consumption as it does to cars. A consumer society is one in which people compete for status by consuming.

A 6 kg bike isn’t the problem. No matter how much someone paid for it.

It was about status not bike weight.

They simply moved the pollution monitor from the high street over to a school field.

Do you mean the field was lower pollution or people took more notice of the pollution in a location they cared more about?

 

[Electric_Andy]

Small electric 28mph quadricyles at zero tax would make for a near instant sea change

I was about to agree, but then thought about the Renault Twizy and how few of them I've ever seen. For such a small car, it's a lot of money if you're asking people to give up their Ford focus and all the practicality it provides

 

[Drago]

Renault ridiculously expensive and restrictive battery lease scheme is what did for the Twizy, and didn't help the Zoe in its early days either.

People could probably stomach the 5 to 7 grand ticket price if thats where it ended, but then another 50 a month on top of that for all eternity was a subscription too far. Id seriously considered one myself and thats all that stopped me.

They did drop the stupid lease thjng in the end, but by then the Twizy was done for.