Cars getting bigger - is this a concern?

[whole diary]

[Kernow Otter]

When I was at Tarmac, the working rule was that one HGV created the same wear and stress on a road structure as 38000 cars passing over the same spot.

[broadgage]

Yes the growing size of cars is a concern INHO. I consider that road tax should be based on dimensions or weight.
A substantial increase in fuel duty would also help.

There is a lot to be said for abolishing road tax for all vehicles, and putting an appropriate levy on all fuel types to truely reflect impact on infrastructure and the evironment.  The more your drive,the more you pay.  The more 'damaging' the vehicle, the more you pay.

Full disclosure, I have an economical and enviromentaly friendly van, and..... a 30 year old Land Rover defender.

I can see the merits of such a system, but how would you tax electric vehicles ?  I do not mind treating electric vehicles more favorably initially, so as to encourage greater use, but this cant carry on forever. Taxing the energy used for charging wont work, as the vehicle could be charged from any standard outlet.

[grahame]

I can see the merits of such a system, but how would you tax electric vehicles ?  I do not mind treating electric vehicles more favorably initially, so as to encourage greater use, but this cant carry on forever. Taxing the energy used for charging wont work, as the vehicle could be charged from any standard outlet.

Well - they ARE going to be charging "per mile" in the future - that came in the budget.  But they are trying to work out how.

My understanding is that it might be based on the recorder milage each year at road tax renewal.     Starting 'small' at 3p per mile, but I suspect that one the principle is established and system running an furrory has blown over, there will be a significant increase.   Income tax was brought in by Pitt the Younger to finance the Napolionic War, repealed and re-introduced by Henry Addington - later Viscount Sidmouth at 5p in the pound ... so there is a precedent for a little tax becoming much bigger.

[Richard Fairhurst]

It's one of the quoted reasons that the urban bus service route here has been shortened and become less convenient - buses no longer able to keep to time as given that cars have grown, there's less road space for the buses, so, a bit of a doom loop going on there.

Same here. Regular Friday evening entertainment is going into the Bull to find which expensively coiffed muppet has parked their armoured personnel carrier on the double yellows again, preventing the S3 from getting down Church Street.

[ChrisB]

An opening to start up quietly a wind-back milometer business?

[eXPassenger]

An opening to start up quietly a wind-back milometer business?

That is a lot more difficult with computer electronics than it was when you disconnected the speedo cable and attached it to a power drill in reverse.  Even that was stopped when the mechanical devices were designed to break if rotated too fast.

[CyclingSid]

Reducing the harms from ever larger cars - evidence
https://www.bmj.com/content/391/bmj.r2162.full