Newstalk - Motor tax & fuel don't cover costs

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shnaek

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So newstalk this morning said that motor tax and govt charges on fuel don't come anywhere near covering the costs of maintaining our roads.
Is this true? Does anyone have any figures?
Or were newstalk just being a propaganda mouthpiece for the pillagers in government?
 
It's true and realy, pretty well known

I'm glad you said motor tax but many say road tax as if it goes on the roads.
Nope, it's not ringfenced for anything
Road tax is one of those pet hates of mine

Everyone pays for the roads. Even the cyclists which many drivers complain about
 
micmclo said:
It's true and realy, pretty well known

I'm glad you said motor tax but many say road tax as if it goes on the roads.
Nope, it's not ringfenced for anything
Road tax is one of those pet hates of mine

Everyone pays for the roads. Even the cyclists which many drivers complain about
Click to expand...

If this tax was ring-fenced for roads we might all feel a bit better paying this tax. But what if, on this flipside to this argument, road building was limited to this pot of cash? Where would we get our motorways from? I believe that our motortax rates don't cover our total spend on roads and as such are a charge for using them. Funds are coming from the central government reserves into roads and not the other way around. Open to correction.
 
Firefly said:
If this tax was ring-fenced for roads we might all feel a bit better paying this tax. But what if, on this flipside to this argument, road building was limited to this pot of cash? Where would we get our motorways from? I believe that our motortax rates don't cover our total spend on roads and as such are a charge for using them. Funds are coming from the central government reserves into roads and not the other way around. Open to correction.
Click to expand...

Everyone benefits from a good road infrastructure. It is like the vascular system of the economy.
Therefore why should motorists be the only ones to pay for it? (them and the EU).
 
micmclo said:
It's true and realy, pretty well known
Click to expand...

But where are the figures for it? I am not prone to believe things that are pretty well known. My trust in government figures is not high.

Purple said:
Everyone benefits from a good road infrastructure. It is like the vascular system of the economy.
Therefore why should motorists be the only ones to pay for it? (them and the EU).
Click to expand...

Very true.
 
I'm sceptical.

Granted, motor tax & tax on fuel won't fund a motorway building program (the EU have given us nice grants for this in any case) but surely maintenance is covered?

Fuel yielded €2bn only a few years ago, consumption would have decreased but the tax take per litre has increased since then.

If there are 1m vehicles on the road paying an average of €500 in motor tax, that would be another €500m.

Tolls surely raise another €100-€200m (I've no idea!)

If €3bn doesn't pay maintenance I'd be surprised.
 
The idea that taxes should be ring fenced for the payees benefit is not realistic.

Just think what the VAT on school books and aspirin tablets would be if the education and health budgets could only be paid from money raised in those sectors :(
 
csirl said:
The idea that taxes should be ring fenced for the payees benefit is not realistic.

Just think what the VAT on school books and aspirin tablets would be if the education and health budgets could only be paid from money raised in those sectors :(
Click to expand...

Doctors, nurses and teachers would be paid a hell of a lot less if it was! :D
 
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