Huge profit from Scots road users
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THE Government is making a huge profit from Scottish road users, and this year the surplus from road taxation will exceed all road costs by £46million.
The claim is made in a report published by Transport Action Scotland and circulated to all Scottish MPs.
The group says that road users taxation in Scotland this year will produce £274million, while the cost of building and maintaining the truck and local road network will be £228million.
According to the group, duty on fuel will raise £165million, VAT on fuel £28million, VAT on vehicles £16million, vehicle excise duty £80million and ear tax £19million. From the total of £308million they have sub tracted £34million and car tax £19million. From the total of £308 million they have subtracted £34million to allow for , different VAT rates, On road costs, the group estimate that vehicle investment will be £55million, local road investment £62million, maintenance £82million, car parks (net) £3million and administration £15million. The group dismiss recent suggestions that road users should pay extra taxes to compensate for such "environmental disbenefits" as congestics, air polution, noise and vibration.
"Such tax would be totally meaningless .and unjustified, and would not remove the cause of the environmental problem.
"There is no special reason for burdening road users alone with an environmental tax. Railways, factories, pubs, discotheques, power stations and schools are noisy and visually intrusive, but they are not singled out for additional taxes," says the group.