With 80 odd percent tax on fuel it could be argued that road tax should be abolished as we're already paying on a usage basis.

Road pricing would be a nightmare, imagine the IT systems needed to manage that - and how well government IT systems have performed in the past.

Personal transport is one of the best things to happen to modern mankind and its about time we stopped beating ourselves up over it and concentrated on finding new fuels and safer cars.

<< If you cannot read and understand the contents of my original message you clearly have an issue. >>

Skidpan, please stop snapping short-temperedly at other posters for failing to infer what you yourself were failing to make clear. It wasn't obvious to me either, so make of that what you like

To Andrew-T, my comment was not aimed at you so why are you so bothered. If the poster it was aimed at has something to say he will surely be able to comment on his own behalf.

I'm also bothered. Your bad attitude is prevalent on many threads and doesn't do this community any favours

Read the thread before making such comments.

I replied to a comment made by Wackyracer because it was not correct. Surely I am allowed to do this.

Wackyracer repiled asking "what was my point", as I said if that was not obvious he has an issue.

Andrew-T then joined in for no reason other than for his own personal satisfaction (I guess).

As far as I am concerned its not me, its the others.

If Avant had an issue he would be edditing my posts.

Apart from the big tax rake from poorer people running older cars doing only 2000 miles a year, I've always thought that the road tax system was a way of enforcing the MOT test.

With electronic checking they can check MOT status without the annual VED purchase.

But DVLA dont issue mot reminders where as they do VED. If they abolished VED, more cars would run without valid mot and a plea of "no-one reminded me" would be common.

VED bands and pricing are reviewed every budget time and anyone who thinks fairness or greenness comes into it is deluded. Its purely a revenue calculation versus election PR contest. Expect a major price rise across the board at first budget after the election, VED, fuel duty and vat....

OK, I must be deluded

Started paying £35 a year for a band C car in 2008 and after one of the annual revievs it dropped to £30. Very happy with that (wifes not, she pays £110 for a car that does more mpg)

So that is fair and green? I rest my case

Started paying £35 a year for a band C car in 2008 and after one of the annual revievs it dropped to £30. Very happy with that (wifes not, she pays £110 for a car that does more mpg).

The only bands that have had large increases are for the gas guzzlers and in my view that is fair.

But that is totally unsustainable in the longer term. Every time a new car goes on the road a £0 or £30 tax one tends to replace a £285 one. Result: drop in revenue.

A huge percentage of cars now being sold are virtually zero VED (even a 5-Series M-Sport is £30) so in a few years time the cost of administration will be more than it raises.

Either VED will be abolished or rates for newer cars will have to rise dramatically.

.

20 years ago I did not expect to be paying £30 VED on a car with 140PS and a 0-60 time of 8.1 seconds.

Nor did the Government, which is the problem. Nothing will happen till post election - it is a political hot potato. All parties know it is a big issue, but they are all scared of it. There was meant to be a major VED review last year but got delayed until after the election.

Inevitably they will move the goal posts so a 120g/km car becomes a "high emissions" car but whether that will be retrospective who knows.

DVLA maintain a database for VED. They access a Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency database for MOT records, and the Motor Insurers Database for insurance details.

Having made major changes to the way VED is administered from October 2014, why should government now ditch that system for a completely different system? As far as government is concerned, the current system works and has been made more efficient by handling more business on-line.

OK, I must be deluded

Started paying £35 a year for a band C car in 2008 and after one of the annual revievs it dropped to £30. Very happy with that (wifes not, she pays £110 for a car that does more mpg)

So that is fair and green? I rest my case

Fron my point of view its cheap so it must be fair.

But is any car actually green, never in my book.

Edited by skidpan on 03/03/2015 at 16:10

If you have to drive someone else's vehicle, how can you be sure it's taxed now tax discs have been abolished?

Edited by Sofa Spud on 03/03/2015 at 16:11

I replied to a comment made by Wackyracer because it was not correct. Surely I am allowed to do this

I'm still not sure why my comment was not correct. I wrote "The zero road tax for classic cars over 25 years soon came to an end

Now I can't remember the exact year when they introduced the Zero road tax for cars over 25 years old but, I know it was only for a few years until it ended in 1997. So I would personally class that as 'soon coming to an end'.

The fact a similar scheme has now been introduced 18 years later is not the same thing.

I'm not having a dig at Skidpan, I genuinely just could not see what his angle was as the two schemes are not the same.

Edited by oldroverboy. on 03/03/2015 at 21:36

I'm not having a dig at Skidpan, I genuinely just could not see what his angle was as the two schemes are not the same

As far as I am concerned there has only been one scheme.

It was introduced in 1995 for vehicles 25 years or older and in 1998 it was modified (frozen to 01 Jan 1973). Now its been extended and will apply to vehicles 40 years and older.

But if you want to be pedantic there have been 3 schemes

1995 - 1998

1998 - 2014

2014 - onwards.

Do non-polish truckers destroy the roads or is it just polish drivers?

You got any links?