On 20/04/2021 18:08, Tim+ wrote:
nightjar wrote:
On 20/04/2021 13:40, Tim+ wrote:
...
ANPR cameras are already all over the country monitoring your movements.
What additional privacy issues are you worried about?

Not me; the opponents of a road pricing system. Possibly because road
pricing would need an awful lot more of them.


Which is why a simple mileage based system would be so much easier.

We already have a simple mileage based system and one that, unlike a
flat distance rate, rewards those who use more efficient vehicles. It is
called Road Fuel Duty. All we need to do is extend it to electric
vehicles too.

Having thought on the matter further, I realise that would be much
easier than I first thought. If all public charging points applied the
tax at point of sale, the way Road Fuel Duty is applied, the only
problem would be collecting the tax due when the vehicle is charged at
home. ISTM that could be solved with a very minor modification to the
vehicle - the addition of a short range transmitter that only operates
when the vehicle is connected to an outside supply. A linked receiver
would detect it and notify the house meter that a vehicle was connected.

The house meter should then be able to detect the change in use when the
vehicle is connected and disconnected and hence know what rate it was
charging at. This should work even if the vehicle is connected to 13A
socket, rather than a dedicated charging point. The tax can then be
collected through the electricity company. No need to track anybody and
all revenue collections are completely automatic.

Having said that, a road use charge seems to be the solution the
government is expect to adopt, probably at much greater cost.


--
Colin Bignell