Gas-guzzling cars should pay

Road tax should be dramatically increased to
The MPs call on the Transport Secretary to encourage a shift towards lower-carbon modes of transport, and to discourage “marginal car and plane journeys” by imposing higher taxes.

They accuse the transport department of a “dismal failure of purpose” in combating carbon emissions and call for a national road-user charging scheme to combat CO2 emissions, rather than congestion. It is “scandalous”, they say, that governments have failed to adopt higher aviation taxes or VAT on international air tickets.

Mr Yeo said: “The Government should take much more decisive action to shift the balance of affordability more in favour of trains, buses and lower-carbon cars and lorries.”

The Independent