ANOTHER PROBLEM LOOMS

The government has long relied on vehicle excise duty – car tax - helping fund the coffers of its road improvements fund. But with the ban on new petrol and diesel cars less than 10 years away, it faces a dilemma.

Currently, electric vehicles are exempt from paying car tax in order to encourage take-up of the environmentally-friendly alternative to the combustion engine. The AA’S Jack Cousens explains: “The issue of what replaces vehicle excise duty is the elephant in the room. “Is it going to be some form of roads pricing, which in turn helps fund road maintenance? Is it going to be pay by the mile? Whatever the solution is, that should be having a fundamental role in how do we maintain, manage and improve the road infrastructure.”

Road pricing is a long-discussed school of thought which proposes different charges for different road use.

Mr Cousens says: “Do you charge people for using motorways, for using A-roads, for using local roads? Do you charge a fixed amount for driving 5,000 miles a year and a different amount for 10,000?

“The problem is it’s a highly contentious political decision. And no politician wants to be the one who says we’re going to do it.

“While I can understand it to a certain extent, politicians are very worried about the here-and-now response, as opposed to the long-term perspective.

“To use the parlance of [TV comedy show] Yes Minister, someone’s going to have to be courageous at some stage.”