this post was submitted on 17 Aug 2025
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Stop the free ride: all motorists should pay their way, whatever vehicle they drive (theconversation.com)
submitted 1 day ago by HalfEarthMedic@slrpnk.net to c/australia@aussie.zone
27 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

A specific road use tax on EVs and hybrids makes no sense.

Given the harms caused by traditional vehicles, society should welcome the decline in fuel excise revenue caused by the transition to EVs – in the same way we should welcome declining revenue from cigarette taxes.

Vehicle registration fees make only a modest contribution to road costs. That’s why all motorists should pay a road-user charge. The payment should be based on a combination of vehicle mass and distance travelled

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[–] Hirom@beehaw.org 1 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago) (1 children)

Have you heard of toolbooths?

There are variations that require neither self reporting nor tracking cars. Grab a ticket uppon entering the highway. Feed the ticket in the exit booth and pay with cash or credit card. The machine uses the ticket to compute the distance.

[–] Geobloke@aussie.zone 1 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Well yeah, but most of my driving is around the suburbs or the small country roads near my house, no complaints I guess, but i wouldn't be paying my fair share of road use.

Plus to cover the full road network seems like a huge expense. I mean you could fund it using a carbon tax, but I feel like paying for tollboths is not good bang for buck in carbon abatement

[–] Hirom@beehaw.org 1 points 16 hours ago

I'm unaware of any country that setup a road toll infrastructure on small road, tollbooth or otherwise.

This is only for highways and major roads.