
British motorists could face a ‘tyre tax’ in the Government’s latest crackdown on emissions detrimental to the environment.
Ministers at the Department for Transport have hired consultants to advise on how to deal with the emissions that scientists say are more harmful than the fumes from fuel.
Although numerous brits are struggling with the cost of living crisis there are strong indications some could be hit with a ‘tyre tax’.
After environment activists won ground in pushing UK drivers to purchase electric cars, the next battle will probably be in brake and tyre wear.
And there’s a possibility that electric vehicles could create more road emissions than petrol cars as they’re usually heavier, so damage the tarmac to a greater degree.
A newspaper outlet, however, said that Whitehall had insisted the consultancy work wasn’t being carried out ahead of a new proposed tax.
A Government spokesman said that they want to better understand the impacts of non-exhaust emissions, such as tyres, on the environment which was why they were conducting research on the matter, and that the research wasn’t commissioned to inform tax policy development.
The spokesman said that as they continue to deliver on their target to meet Net Zero by 2050, they were committed to keeping the switch to electric vehicles affordable to consumers, which was why they were spending billions to help incentivise uptake and fund the rollout of charging infrastructure across the United Kingdom.
RAC’s roads policy chief Nicholas Lyes told a newspaper outlet that the talk of a tyre tax was incredibly premature and that it could do more harm than good by causing more injuries and deaths on the roads by putting drivers off replacing worn-out tyres when they should.
He said that if levied at the point of sale, it would lead to cheaper tyres being taxed more heavily as they’re far more likely to wear more quickly and shed a higher number of particles into the environment and better quality ones being taxed less. And that making cheaper tyres more expensive would no doubt cause some to continue driving on illegal tyres, compromising road safety for everyone.
The news comes as it was revealed most Britons believe controversial ultra-low emission zones (ULEZ) in the capital were designed to cream money off motorists and stimulate new car sales.
Some 40 per cent of Britons surveyed for MailOnline believe that the primary function of the zones, where high-polluting vehicles have to pay a daily tariff was improving air quality.
How about we just end the technocratic betrayal that’s UK Parliament and replace it with something that’s honest and lawful? But hey people, they’ve found a new fake excuse to tax you all!
It’s all about tax, tax, tax and if you don’t pay it they’ll fine you and might even take you to court, and people are getting sick to death of it. Meanwhile, there are those who have just set foot in this country of ours from their little sailboats who have everything provided by those who pay their taxes. Here, let’s give you some money. Here let’s give you a house – oh and here, let’s give you a car!
And here was me stupidly thinking we already paid a ‘tyre tax’. That’s what I thought the Road Fund Licence was all about.
The Government should just go away, but of course, while they’re doing that they’ll have far too much time on their hands thinking up another tax they can impose on us!