ROADS

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Soaring motoring taxes mean that individuals are paying nearly £300 a year each more than they should. It estimates that drivers paid the £31.5 billion raised from drivers in 2009 not only dwarfs the amount spent on roads but also the environmental cost of motoring. Under current Government plans, drivers are facing two fuel duty rises next year worth around seven pence a litre. According to the Taxpayers’Alliance census data showed that those living in rural areas, who rely on their cars and drive further, were hit far harder than city-dwellers.

While in Camden, in central London, the excess was £64, in Maldon, Essex and the Shetland Isles, the gap was £566. In 2009 motorists contributed £31.5 billion to the Treasury in Vehicle Excise and Fuel Duty, both of which are classified as “green taxes” by Government statisticians. In the same year the Government spent £9.9 billion on roads. Using calculations the Government used to price carbon used in aviation, the Alliance calculated that the value of road transport emissions was £3.5 billion. (Source: Daily Telegraph, Nov/11)

More than £18 billion of the £31.5 billion in taxes levied on motorists is profit for the Treasury. Parliament is to hold a debate on excessive fuel prices, after well over 100,000 people signed a petition calling for planned rises in fuel duty to be scrapped. Do the signatories have a point, or are they just proving, as their critics allege, that motorists are world-class whingers?

The truth, as a report we publish today makes clear, is that drivers are among the least fairly treated people in the country. In 2009, they paid £31.5 billion in fuel duty and vehicle excise duty. They also pay VAT, not just when they buy their car and again when they fill the tank with fuel, but on the duty on that fuel as well. In September, no less than 60% of the price you paid for unleaded petrol, and 58% of the price of diesel, went straight to the taxman. These are the highest proportions for any of the 27 countries in the EU. Indeed, the only country in the world that seems to beat us in terms of motoring taxes is Turkey.

We are told that all this tax has to be levied for a reason: to account for the impact of cars’ greenhouse gas emissions, now and in the future, and to pay for the construction and maintenance of our roads. But the numbers don’t stack up. In 2009-10, we spent £9.9 billion on the road network, and the emissions were deemed to have cost £3.5 billion. In short, more than £18 billion of that £31.5 billion in taxes, the equivalent of £293 per person, is profit for the Treasury.

If you work in London, it’s easy to dismiss the significance of these motoring taxes, because of the capital’s public transport networks. But most people rely on their cars to get to work, take the children to school and access services. So, while excess motoring taxes amount to £35 per head for those living in Westminster, they soar to £566 for those in Maldon in Essex. And on top of that, there are also parking fines, £328 million in 2008-09, and another £87 million from speed cameras, and the income from congestion charges.

Despite the enormous amounts raked in, the roads remain congested and horrible. We have far less motorway per person, given the size of the country and of national income, than any other major European nation. Ten times as much is spent on the railways, for every mile travelled, than the roads. Worse, with transport spending being cut, there is every sign that motorists will be sent to the back of the queue yet again. The Government is set to spend well over £1,000 for every family on building a new high-speed rail line. The money, we are reassured, won’t come out of funding for other rail projects, which means that the roads will suffer instead. (Source: Daily Telegraph, Nov/11)

A council has told motorists that they have to measure potholes if they want them be fixed. Drivers in Stockport, Greater Manchester, are also being ordered to take photographs of the offending crevice. But the prospect of drivers crouching in the middle of the road to gather the information required by Stockport horrified motoring organisations. Andrew Howard, the AA’s head of road safety, said, “This could be very dangerous. When we ask our members to measure potholes, we give clear safety instructions. We don’t want people walking out in the middle of the road poking rulers into crevices and taking pictures. Sometimes you just have to accept people’s word."

He added, "With the compensation culture some motorists looking for a big cheque might take ridiculous claims to gather information for a claim. The downside may come from residents exaggerating the depth and width of potholes to jump the queue on inspections and repairs. An alternative may be to ask the local councillor to take a look and stop the authority digging itself into deeper trouble.” The instructions to motorists are contained on the council’s website, it is understood that the same advice is given by the local authority’s hotline. It is understood that only holes deeper than 1.5 inches will be considered for repair.

Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, was also appalled by Stockport’s initiative. He said, “Expecting drivers to hit the streets armed with tape measures and cameras is perhaps taking civic responsibility too far. Surely if it looks like a pothole, feels like a pothole when you drive over it and damages your car like a pothole, then it is a pothole? If residents have taken the time and trouble to report a problem then that should be enough to warrant investigation. The best solution would be for councils to maintain their roads adequately before the need to complain arises.”

Potholes remain a sensitive issue even though the Government is giving councils nearly £1 billion for road maintenance and repair this year. With budgets under pressure local authorities are still cutting back. Last year councils paid out £47 million in damages to motorists whose cars were damaged by potholes. According to the AA there were 1.7 million complaints by drivers. However Hamilton Bland, a former BBC sports commentator, won £3,500 in damages from Coventry City Council for damage caused to his Mercedes by an unrepaired pothole.

Iain Roberts, Executive Member for Transportation at Stockport Council, defended the authority’s approach. He said, “We ask callers whether they think the pothole is a hazard to motorists or a trip hazard to pedestrians. Many residents choose to give us extra information about potholes they've spotted, but that's never been a requirement, we check all potholes reported to us."

He added, "We take a planned approach to our work on the highway, and want to obtain the best value for money and fix the largest number of potholes we can within resources. Our inspection policy sets out the criteria the Council uses when checking for defects and our response time, with most urgent repairs being made safe by the end of the next working day.” Norman Baker, the local transport minister, added, "It is not for the Department for Transport to tell Stockport Council how to sort out its potholes." (Source: Daily Telegraph, Sep/11)

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