Excerpt from UKpopdems economic policy doument supporting elimination of tax disc and ring-fencing of motor taxes. We are not supporters of road tolls.
Elimination of Road Tax Disc
UKpopdems will address these issues in the way the people have long wanted them to be addressed. The solution will pay back over an extended period, but distinctive short term benefits can be achieved quickly. Most people want the right options to meet their needs for safe, fast, reliable and clean travel at fair cost and this is what UKpopdems will deliver. In the first place we’ll make a simple change that past governments should have done years ago; we will eliminate the tax disc on all road vehicles and add the average to petrol prices. This will do several things: first, it will make road taxes fairer by causing drivers to think about actual fuel usage rather than just the size of vehicle. Real-life fuel usage is a much better indicator of CO2 emissions than theoretical published figures. Thus, the less fuel used, the less tax is paid. A light foot and efficient driving will save money, while a heavy foot and inefficient driving will cost more: second, it will create an environment where all road users pay fairly. There will be no room for evasion as with the current disc and therefore worthwhile savings will be made on enforcement resources and central road tax processing costs: third, it will force foreign drivers to pay their fair share of road usage costs when in Britain, which they do not at the moment. To maintain fairness, we’ll guarantee through independent monitoring that government will not make more tax money out of British drivers using this system; any surplus will be returned in future lower fuel taxes.
Ring-fencing Motoring Taxes
Next, we’ll do something else that past governments should have done; that is to ring fence motoring taxes as an exercise in open government. This way everyone can see what is collected and where the money is going. Actually, increasing tax ring-fencing generally is a long term goal for UKpopdems and it’s something people will see more of. For motoring we’ll guarantee to spend 50% on roads, 15% on public transport, 15% on emergency services and 20% on environmental improvement. In terms of the environment.
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