‘Pay-per-mile charging is good as long we have the right roads and it doesn’t disincentivise EV takeup’

That’s the suggestion of motoring broadcaster and transport campaigner Quentin Willson who spoke to ELN about the benefits of a proposed road pricing scheme

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A road charging scheme would be good if it doesn’t disincentivise electric vehicle (EV) takeup.

That’s the suggestion of motoring broadcaster and transport campaigner Quentin Willson who spoke to ELN about the benefits of a proposed road pricing scheme discussed last week on the Transport Select Committee.

The initiative is based on a report by the academic group Greener Transport Solutions, which suggests a pay-per-mile scheme should be mandatory by 2030 to replace the loss in the revenue the Treasury collects in fuel duty as a result of an accelerated EV takeup.

Mr Willson said: “The big problem the UK Government has is that every five years road charging, pay per mile has been suggested. And every time the public has had a backlash.

“I think personally it has to come because there is no other alternative. And if it’s done well, is a fair way, you use the roads a certain amount and you pay for that.

“But the big problem the government has is they are asking us to pay for a road system which at the moment is not fit for purpose. There’s a 12-billion-pound backlog of road repairs that if we started today it would take 10-12 years to put right.

He added: “How can you charge people to use a road system which was recently called similar to the surface of the Moon because there are so many potholes.”

Listen to the interview.

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