and an army of Welsh bureaucrats not issuing receipts

I taxed one of my cars last Friday and simply printed off DVLA web page which includes a reference. How much more of a receipt do I need.

could simply be replaced by a fuel surcharge

Lets not get started on that one again. Personally with 4 cars such a scheme would probably save me money but it would not work for many reasons.

The most important 3 are:

1. How would you react if you had just bout a £0 a year car (not just Prius fall into this bracket) and then found yourself paying extra tax on your fuel. Bet you would not be happy.

2. How would you feel if you had a classic that is £0 a year. Owners are only just starting to benefit form a rolling date again after it was frozen in the 90's

3. What happens say 10 years down the line when a future Government decide to keep the additional fuel duty but re-introduce a VED of somekind to raise some revenue.

Leave well alone.

1 – it’s wouldn’t come in right away so you won’t have just bought one and you would still be paying less in a car like a Prius due to it’s better MPG.

2 – Classic cars don’t tend to get used much mileage wise so for most people it would barely register. And if you do use it for a lot of miles then it’s only fair you pay your way.

3 – no different to what could happen now if the government decided to change all the charges now

Lets not get started on that one again. Personally with 4 cars such a scheme would probably save me money but it would not work for many reasons.

Those are not reasons why it wouldn't work. Prius and classic car owners already have the benefit of low fuel usage yet wear out the roads and pollute in direct proportion to their fuel use.. Why have a system that inconveniences millions of 'normal' motorists just to keep this minority happy?

An argument based on 'what about' what happens in 10 years time is pointless. 'Leaving well alone' is a sure way to see both VED and fuel prices rise.

I happen to live in France where VED was scrapped years ago and the cost put onto fuel. Nevertheless both diesel and petrol in France are now less than £1 a litre. Low polluting cars are encouraged by scaled registration fees and state discounts / tax surcharges on sales of new cars based on their CO2 emissions.

Meanwhile, if ever there is a complicated or vindictive way of doing anything then you can depend on Her Majesty's government to find it.