Driven off the road

MOTORISTS have been regarded as fair game by greedy governments for decades.

Road tax has combined with fuel prices and soaring insurance premiums to make driving a costly pursuit.

But the latest plan to introduce a charge for every mile travelled i s a marked escalation in the war on drivers.

The rationale is clear: the Chancellor is concerned that phasing out petrol and diesel cars will create a £40billion shortfall in Treasury revenues.

But the practical i mpact could be profound for rural areas where a car is a lifeline, and where motorists routinely cover relatively large distances.

In Scotland, if the plan were to be approved, the economic repercussions could be severe – those who drive to work would be priced off the road.

Eco-friendly policy-making is laudable, but before making grand pledges ministers should have looked more closely at the fiscal implications.

The SNP and its Green partners have pursued an anti-car agenda for many years – culminating in the pernicious Workplace Parking Levy scheme.

It demonstrated a lack of understanding of the needs of those for whom a car is not a luxury, but an absolute necessity.

Ministers would require very l i ttle persuasion to implement yet another punitive measure, regardless of the consequences for car-dependent Scots in areas poorly served by public transport.

And yet our roads remain in an appalling condition thanks to poor maintenance and a vast and growing backlog of expensive repairs. Government needs to get serious about rail improvement before it introduces the ‘ poll tax on wheels’ now under consideration.

There’s a reason that successive British administrations have consistently shied away from road charging since the mid1960s – it’s electorally toxic.

If Rishi Sunak wants to put long-suffering drivers in his crosshairs, he should prepare for a backlash from motorists tired of being treated like cash cows.