General: older volvo's

[Existential Crisis]

Originally Posted by Kev0607

I think its a grey area to be honest... these ulez zones need a rethink, but it probably won't happen. It generates too much money.

For example, vehicles over 40 years old are currently exempt from the ULEZ charges in London. If the old classics (over 40 years old) were high polluters, they wouldn't be exempt from emissions charges.

So if the old classics are exempt, why does a car that's 20-25 years newer have to pay the ulez charge because it doesn't meet emissions standards? If the car that's 20-25 years older is exempt, why isn't the newer one?

I personally think vehicles should be taxed based on their weight and mileage per annum. So a person that does massive mileage per year pays more than the person that does little mileage. The person driving a close-to 3 tonne SUV pays more and continues to pay significantly more road tax for as long as they own the car than the little old lady in her non-ulez compliant Nissan Micra.

I think older cars should pay less road tax, not more. They pass MOT's each year and part of that is an emissions test... they're safe to be on the road, if they weren't, they wouldn't have passed. I don't think a V8 Range Rover because its newer should be cheaper to tax than a 20 year old Volvo.

Put it on fuel. Simple and fair.

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by Existential Crisis

Put it on fuel. Simple and fair.

Explain your suggestion.

[Existential Crisis]

Originally Posted by Kev0607

Explain your suggestion.

If the tax was put on fuel, it would simply become pay as you go and the vehicles that are the most inefficient would pay the most...seems fair, and simple?

[Baffler]

Originally Posted by Existential Crisis

Put it on fuel. Simple and fair.

Originally Posted by Kev0607

Explain your suggestion.

May I chime in as this really gets my blood pressure up...

Part of your training to become a collector of taxes is to take a healthy portion of simple and fair, add a little sprinkle of logic, place them into a centrifuge for several years and, once properly blended together, eject the contents out into the depths of space. Why? Because there is way too much revenue being generated from our archaic tax systems and we're bound by law to comply.

Take a look at the Irish road tax system if you're in need of a good laugh. My '15 reg V70 for example is £30 pa in the UK which equates to €270 pa when brought across the Irish sea. Had it been registered here prior to Brexit it would be €200 pa...now work that one out!

Not sure about the UK but over here the Greens have shot themselves in the foot. We now have heavier cars doing more damage to the infrastructure, with possibly more miles being covered than ever before, paying less or zero road tax with the population growing exponentially. They could have introduced a simple blanket tax on all new and old private vehicles, let's say 100 gourds per vehicle, and those of us burning up precious fossil fuels pay an additional excise at the pump. But no...that would be way too simple, fair and logic wave of their pen.

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by Existential Crisis

If the tax was put on fuel, it would simply become pay as you go and the vehicles that are the most inefficient would pay the most...seems fair, and simple?

In a way, that's already happening (the most inefficient vehicles pay more)... road tax is already higher on more inefficient vehicles as is and they do less mpg, so that means more fuel fill ups. There's already a tax on fuel and a very hefty one at that. This country is one of the dearest in the world for fuel.

As I mentioned earlier, I personally think vehicles should be taxed based on their weight and mileage per annum. So a person that does massive mileage per year pays more than the person that does little mileage. The person driving a close-to 3 tonne SUV pays more and continues to pay significantly more road tax for as long as they own the car than the little old lady in her non-ulez compliant Nissan Micra who only tootles to the shops three times a week.

It would be fairly easy, in theory, to have a "pay per mile" system... those that are on the road more pay more and those in bigger heavy vehicles pay more for example. All mileage is recorded at the MOT each year, just use that to calculate how many miles a vehicle has done in the year. The weights of the cars are on the V5's anyway, it wouldn't be that difficult. They already have the info.

[Existential Crisis]

Originally Posted by Kev0607

In a way, that's already happening (the most inefficient vehicles pay more)... road tax is already higher on more inefficient vehicles as is and they do less mpg, so that means more fuel fill ups. There's already a tax on fuel and a very hefty one at that. This country is one of the dearest in the world for fuel.

As I mentioned earlier, I personally think vehicles should be taxed based on their weight and mileage per annum. So a person that does massive mileage per year pays more than the person that does little mileage. The person driving a close-to 3 tonne SUV pays more and continues to pay significantly more road tax for as long as they own the car than the little old lady in her non-ulez compliant Nissan Micra who only tootles to the shops three times a week.

It would be fairly easy, in theory, to have a "pay per mile" system... those that are on the road more pay more and those in bigger heavy vehicles pay more for example. All mileage is recorded at the MOT each year, just use that to calculate how many miles a vehicle has done in the year. The weights of the cars are on the V5's anyway, it wouldn't be that difficult. They already have the info.

For me, adding a little bit to fuel would be the simplest and fairest way and as you suggest makes it pay oer mile without all the hassle of mileage calculations etc...remember it's relatively easy to clock cars between MOTs which would become a problem. Putting it on weight and mileage would also still make ot relatively cheap to run cars in towns etc, whereas on fuel would penalise those sitting for miles in jams for a two mile trip, engine barely warm and always running.

Intersting discussion man, thanks.