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Britain must prepare for widespread road pricing, infrastructure czar says | shipping policy
Britain should prepare for widespread use of road pricing to make up for a $35 billion tax revenue shortfall caused by the shift to electric vehicles, the country's top infrastructure adviser has said.
Sir John Armit, chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC), said it was time for a proper public debate about future funding for the road network and other important projects.
Isn't this a very difficult problem politically? But many say road pricing is inevitable. Personally, I don't see why it should be any different, he told reporters Thursday.
We pay for all other infrastructure services as we use them, and when we drive on the roads we pay for what we use through gasoline taxes. And if you're going to lose the gas tax, [more than] 30 billion per year, what will the government replace it with?
Armitt was speaking on the sidelines of an event held at the national headquarters of engineering company Skanskas in Watford, following a speech by Darren Jones, the principal secretary to the Treasury, who announced the launch of a new watchdog to identify infrastructure delays.
Road pricing involves charging drivers for driving on roads, including toll roads, bridge and tunnel access, pay-per-mile schemes and congestion zones. Some schemes exist in the UK, including the M6 Toll, the Mersey Gateway bridge and London Congestion Charges, but they are much more widespread in other countries such as France and Germany.
Armitt said the debate over road pricing is likely to grow as the government steadily declines in revenue from the two main motor vehicle taxes, vehicle excise duty and fuel tax, which raise about $35 billion a year. There is no charge for electric vehicles either.
The Office for Budget Responsibility estimates that all cars on UK roads will be almost 100% electric by 2045, following a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in 2035.
This is a really big problem, Armitt said. In the end, if you end up paying [for using the road network]We pay through taxes or through point of use.
While he didn't suggest a preferred option, Armitt did suggest one approach that involves license plate recognition technology.
People probably won't like this because Big Brother is watching you. [but] You may receive a bill for different rates anywhere in the country, depending on the time of day and the type of road you are driving on.
His comments come as Jones announced the creation of the National Infrastructure and Services Innovation Agency (Nista), which will oversee large-scale projects. The watchdog will replace the NIC and another government agency, the Infrastructure and Projects Authority, next year. Armitt will serve as NIC chair until July.
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Mr Jones said the government would launch a 10-year infrastructure strategy next year, including plans for new schools, hospitals and homes, along with a Treasury spending review. Attacking the Conservative Party's actions, he said the creation of Nista would help restore business confidence in investment and break the vicious cycle of low growth.
But Labor has cast doubt on the future of several infrastructure projects in its first 100 days in power, including the postponement of Lower Thames Crossing, Britain's largest road scheme, announced earlier this week.
Armitt said ministers should press the button and get going because the 9 billion tunnel is one of the most important infrastructure projects in the country. He suggested private sector funding could be leveraged.
After years of overspending on projects including HS2, the NIC said in a report on Thursday that the transport sector alone could find cost savings of 10 to 25 per cent by solving four recurring problems worth $1 billion to $2 billion a year by the 2030s. He said there was.
It blamed UK supply chain problems on a lack of clear strategic direction, inconsistent accountability, a risk-averse culture leading to costly mitigation work and a lack of investment in training.
The NIC said Britain's high-speed rail experience had been uniquely high-cost. HS2 will cost around 145m per kilometer of single track, which is of course more expensive than any other high-speed rail in the world.
Sources 2/ https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/oct/10/uk-road-pricing-infrastructure-electric-vehicles-35bn-tax-shortfall The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article |
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