PAY AS YOU DRIVE

I see a new report out says that the only way to reduce congestion on English roads is to implement a pay as you go system.  It suggests that this is now "inevitable".  It says that there is presently no link between the £47bn raised in revenue in 2009 from road users and the amount put back into the road network.

I thought we already paid a pay as you go charge to create and maintain the highways - it's called road tax and fuel duty!

Maybe rather than looking at new ways of raising the cash to create, repair and maintain roads they should have a look at spending the money already raised by taxing motorists on what it was meant for.

They also suggest that that if road tolls were introduced then there would be a drop in fuel duty and road tax - somehow I don't see that happening.

CALL ME A CYNIC BUT IT SEEMS AS IF THE MOTORIST HAS ALWAYS BEEN, AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE, AN EASY TARGET FOR RAISING REVENUE THROUGH TAX