If road pricing is introduced, would it be a good idea to allow a basic free milage to all road users?

Question

It seems to me that if road pricing is introduced, (I hope not) it would be unfair on the "less well off" and would lead to a "rich only" culture of road users. By allowing a basic free personal milage to everyone (Say 30 miles per day) we could at least get to work free. Business milage would need to be dealt with under the company car taxation rules. If it works right, we would all be deterred from using cars just for leisure trips.

Answer 1

Not a good idea - it would start all the arguments such as "My job's more important so I should get more free miles", so either make everybody pay OR better still, forget the whole bloody idea!

Answer 2

What about the disabled who can't use public transport and need their car so as not to be housebound? How are they going to afford road pricing when their only income is Disability Living Allowance and Incapacity Benefit? My kids live 40 miles away. 80 mile round trip.

Answer 3

i hope it is not introduced because I'm a carer for my son and not only do i take him to school as normal but because of his illness i get called to go there some times 2 or 3 times a week, and i have meetings to attend to, so how on earth could i afford to do that, so yes i agree with you there should be some personal mileage

Answer 4

Poor people can't afford cars, so if EVERYBODY got a free amount of mileage then they could sell it to those who can't be bothered to walk, cycle or wait for public transport.

Answer 5

If you drive only 30 miles a day you might as well walk or cycle.

Answer 6

I would hope so. My school run would cost me a fortune if there was no daily allowance.

Answer 7

People would just buy more cars.