'This is one ghost the Government is intent on pursuing to the very end'
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Leasing companies could become unpaid tax collectors if motorway tolling goes ahead, says Norman Donkin, secretary general of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association.
g he debate on motorway tolling is
likely to be one of the most
g he debate on motorway tolling is
likely to be one of the most controversial issues under discussion in the transport industry over the next decade. Unless the requirements and views of the rental and leasing industry in the UK are taken into account, the potential for administrative chaos is astronomical.
The spectre of physical toll booths on British motorways has for some time been dismissed as fundamentally unworkable. Yet this is one ghost the Government is intent on pursuing to the very end. In the light of rapid advances in the world of electronics (such as smart-card technology) it is widely known that the Government has decided to study alternative methods of charging drivers to use roads.
Despite the fact that drivers already :pay twice through fuel and vehicle excise duty, recent reports disclose that the Government will soon try eIectronic tolling systems on the M3. Early indications are that it will be some time before the technology of this "futuristic vision" catches up with the real world.
The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association has requested consultation with the Government on the implications For its 900 members. As this is one of the most contentious transport issues facing the Government today, we have said that we want to co-operate fully to ensure that our members' diverse interests are examined and taken into account. We have even offered to provide trucks and cars on a rental basis for use in the trials.
With the Government riding roughshod over strong anti-tolling opinion, we must speak for our members who fundamentally disagree with the concept of motorway tolls. The Government must address some criteria before any method of increased taxation is envisaged—with a clear understanding that the revenues raised will be used only to pay for motorway construction and maintenance.
If the Government goes ahead with a system of tolling, it would only be fair to consult our members who have to live with the implications. For example, they would like to be consulted on such issues as who is responsible for paying—the owner (in our members' case, the rental or leasing company), the user, or the driver? How quickly will charging take place? What measures will be taken to deter fraud? What happens if the toll is not paid? On present evidence the technology is not ready to cope with the demands that these issues raise. if permits for motorways are introduced, our members feel they will be used as unpaid tax collectors There would have to be extra margins available to cover administration costs.
Issuing permits or smart cards brings into question the way in which they are charged, how they will be issued and by whom. Any method presents potential problems. Any system must work for all road users, both private and commercial, without red tape increasing their administration costs.
There is merit in the concept that those who use the road system should pay for the establishment and upkeep of the roads. However, through fuel duty high-mileage drivers already pay the Chancellor more through increased fuel usage. The cost to industry and the general travelling public through road congestion is substantial in terms of accidents and lost time.
There is no alternative to better funding for road development if the congestion is to be eased.
There are simply too many questions to be asked about the tolling proposals, many of which are critical to the operations of rental and contract hire companies.
• if you want to sound off about a road transport issue write to features editor Patric Cunnane.