The British could be charged to use UK roads in a scheme to fill a £ 40bn budget hole



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RISHI Sunak is said to be considering a new scheme to charge drivers for using UK roads.

The Chancellor is reviewing a new Treasury document following concerns about the £ 40bn budget hole created by the switch to electric vehicles, The Times reports.

The M6 ​​toll in the Midlands currently imposes a weekday road charge.

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The M6 ​​toll in the Midlands currently imposes a weekday road chargeCredit: Alamy
The Chancellor is said to be seriously considering the plan

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The Chancellor is said to be seriously considering the planCredit: EPA

It comes as the government is ready to announce that a ban on the sale of new gasoline and diesel cars that use fossil fuels will be pushed forward until 2030.

The new scheme is part of the PM’s ten-point climate plan.

The Times reports that No. 10 is eager to “take the lead” after a week of blowouts between advisory adviser Dominic Cummings and Boris’s fiancee Carrie Symonds.

The document adds that more announcements will follow covering massive coronavirus testing in the run-up to Christmas, as well as renewed initiatives to improve education and skills development after it was claimed that 10 insiders feared Cummings’ hardliner it would have damaged Johnson’s chairmanship.

Downing Street said the prime minister wants to send a “clear signal” emphasizing his ambitions, and remains focused on “leveling up” the country.

Meanwhile, the Chancellor is supposedly “very interested” in the idea of ​​the price of national roads.

The enthusiasm comes despite alleged concerns at the Treasury about the cost of the green plan, with the revenue from the fuel tax, one of the largest revenues, on the brink of disappearing.

The tariff, which is charged at 57.95 pa per liter on gasoline and diesel vehicles, appears to generate 27,500 million pounds sterling this financial year, more than 1% of national income, according to the latest forecasts.

The “increasingly urgent” issue has already been widely discussed, with an outline drawn up for the possible highway tariff scheme, a source said.

It comes as the government brainstorms how to reach its goal of reducing emissions to net zero by 2050 and the rise in popularity of electric cars could leave a funding gap of £ 40 billion.

A report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies published in 2019 said that a shift towards greener vehicles could be a “major long-term fiscal challenge for the government.”

Previous governments have given wide latitude to the idea of ​​a road load, fearing a furious backlash from motorists.

The Labor Party abandoned similar plans more than a decade ago following furious public outcry, and conservatives have been reluctant to consider the change seriously – until now, it seems.

Currently the price of roads is seen at the toll of the M6, charging up to £ 6.70 for cars and £ 12 for heavy vehicles during the week.

And London’s controversial congestion charge is another example, with other cities appearing ready to follow in the capital’s footsteps – despite criticism, there’s no way to assess how long vehicles have spent within emissions zones. .

It is believed that the only way to truly track this would be through vehicle tracking.

A Treasury source said: “The Treasury regularly explores many different policy options. This is no different “.

Previous governments have given the idea wide latitude, fearing a backlash from motorists.

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Previous governments have given the idea wide latitude, fearing a backlash from motorists.Credit: Getty Images – Getty



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