Drive A Diesel? You’ll Pay More Tax Very Soon

If you drive a diesel in the UK you might want to look away now. The government is planning to sting you with extra tax – an as-yet unknown amount – in order to cover its pollution-reduction spending plans.

The extra tax take will be divided between local councils running areas where air quality is an issue, giving them the funds to make changes to road layouts or incentivise public transport – or even cycling. The whole idea is to get as many people out of cars as possible, and we don’t even know where to start with the level of rage this causes us. I wonder: have the legislators tried carrying a weekly shop on a bicycle, or arriving at work every day sweating like a pig in a sauna?

Parliament will look at changing the road tax system (again) in just a few months, to punish desel cars and vans. It’s likely that the payments for older diesels in particular will be ramped up. As an owner of a 10-year-old diesel workhorse, I’m one of the millions of people who could suddenly have to fork out a lot more to keep my car on the road.

The new tax system, which only came into effect in April, has been heavily criticised for overlooking plug-in hybrids priced above £40,000, all of which have to pay the £310 annual surcharge.

Via: Autocar