Is the new road tax really about getting us to go green or just another way of getting extra money?

Question

from joe public on the excuse of a green tax?

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/pressass/20080710/tuk-government-stands-firm-on-road-tax-6323e80.html

Answer 1

i think its just another way of getting money as you said and i think its gonna take alot of people of the road

Answer 2

Unfortunately I think it will force people to purchase smaller cars with less co2 emissions and cheaper tax, but I feel this will also encourage children to taken out of their safety seats in order to fit all family members in which I feel is going to put children's safety at risk when involved in an accident.

Answer 3

For some, it may be just another source of revenue.

However, regardless of motives, will it change how people treat travel?  THAT IS THE IMPORTANT QUESTION.

Will people become more efficient in travel?  Clearly, considering how the US public is crying in pain - but also changing their driving habits, in an economy that is used to $2/gallon, it will.  As an American, I can't really speak for the Brittish economy, but you guys generally do use public transportation more already.  It may actually be pushing you beyond a threshhold that you cannot afford into economic oblivion.

The same move in the US, especially if it was countered with reducing general taxes, would definitely improve our environmental and economic outlook.

Answer 4

Do you really think the U.S government is concerned about the enviorment with Bush in the white house?

Answer 5

The government's thinking is about 16 years too late / behind public opinion.

There are many other options available such as issuing compulsory coloured stickers for vehicles which indicate their class thereby helping to advertise / spread awareness of the need to reduce emissions to help save our beautiful planet / shame those who refuse to switch to green/er vehicles.

Taxing does work but only to some extent - the well off don't care how much road tax is, probably don't know what the cost is now, they have several vehicles and are probably aiming at owning more cos they can't think (bit like Jeremy Clarkson whose job depends on promoting more of the same old...)

Yes, the government also see the need to go Green as a convenient way to make money = shame - they are missing the most obvious way/s to go green

Answer 6

Taxing us, nothing more.

Answer 7

Gorden McBottle needs more money because their is none left in the cupboard so it s just another tax.

Answer 8

Imagine the US trying this ?

Ok the americans are percieved

as morons (by the world !)

but if this was tried in the states,

there would be RIOTS !!!!!!

Answer 9

It is clearly revenue raising.

It has already been calculated that the difference between losers and winners is £735 Million in the governments favour.

Of course it is still 2 years away before full implementation so therefore if it were a 'green' initiative the government would just say all cars unable to maintain 40mpg at a steady 70 would be subject to increased road fund licences to be re-invested in environmental policies,this would affect most cars even 1.6 ltr versions but would inspire manufacturers of engines/cars as it gives them something to sell.

It's all out there they just want it to be a profitable enterprise and this government has shown it has a very weak grasp of economics in the real world.

Answer 10

What do you think?  In the telegraph yesterday, they were talking about taxing farting cows. The trouble is, someone is living in cloud cuckoo land in the house of commons and has decided that we all have access to a shop or a bus route and we all live next door to schools and doctors surgeries. Might be true in the centre of London, but not in the rural areas of which there are many. We are going to have to have a mutiny sooner or later and say enough is enough. The British people are just too accepting of what we are told. People cant get to work if they have no car where I live, so we should all just go on Job seekers allowance?

Answer 11

if you want to charge people more for anything these days all you have to do is call it enviromentally friendly and bobs your uncle . should anyone say anything about it your seen as enviromentally unfriendly

Answer 12

Assuming this means the extra tax on high-polluting cars, I actually think Gordon Brown is right about this.

Using Chelsea tractors on the school run has long been thought of as antisocial, and that SUVs, 4x4s and similar monsters have no place on British roads, least of all in cities where clean air and space is at a premium.  It is right to tax them heavily and encourage the use of smaller more fuel-efficient vehicles, such as we had in the past.  Let the rich drive them if they must, but let the taxpayer profit from it, so that there is more public money available to cut CO2 emissions elsewhere.

If they say it is unfair to those who already bought monster vehicles - they were antisocial when they bought them, and they should count themselves lucky they have got away for so long with low taxes on them.

Answer 13

Death and Taxes...

... oh War and Environment

Lets put all our money into war and environment.

Two things that human kind cannot seem to fix.

However, we should all do our part to not be wasteful. Just because its the right thing to do.

Answer 14

Tax,tax and more tax.