The (UK) government are proposing a new road scheme where car tax will dropped, fuel tax lowered and pay-per-mile will be introduced. This will supposedly reduce traffic congestion, be better for the environment, and be ‘finance neutral’ (the total payed by the drivers will not change).

Consider two vehicles. (1) A small hatchback capable of 48mpg, (2) a 4×4 capable of 18mpg, and a 40 mile round-trip per day, half of which is on the motorway.

Case 1. Fuel costs £0.78/l.
Car 1 uses 0.83 gallons of petrol at a cost of £2.95.
Car 2 uses 2.2 gallons of petrol at a cost of £7.89.
Which gives a daily saving of £4.94 (or £1184.4 over the coarse of a full year).

Case 2. Fuel prices drop to £0.35/l, motorways cost £1/mile and minor roads cost £0.02/mile.
Car 1 pays £1.32 for fuel, and £20.40 in road fees = £21.72 (a 736% rise)
Car 2 pays £3.50 for fuel and £20.40 in road fees = £23.90 (a 303% rise)
The daily saving has dropped to £2.18.

So, for an extra £2.18 per day, you can drive a vehicle that is 38% as efficient, uses more resources, generates more emissions, takes up more space and does greater damage to the roads.

In order to save a lot of money, both vehicles stop driving on the motorway, and take to the back roads (along with everyone else) and rat-run through the previously quite and safe villages.

I think I will pay the extra £2.18 and take to the roads in one of these, I should barely be able to feel the speed-bumps that will no doubt be added in all the villages.

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