The end of 2018 is drawing to a close and we’ve seen many changes within the motoring world, from learner drivers on the motorways to a new MOT. So what can we expect in 2019?
Although there are bound to be several unknown shocks and surprises to drivers over the next twelve months, here are a few of the main changes we can expect in the new year…
Emission mission
As mentioned in an earlier article, an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) will be in place in central London from the 8th of April next year and will replace the T-Charge. Most vehicles, including older petrol cars and most diesel cars sold before certain dates, must meet stricter exhaust emission standards or drivers must pay a daily charge to drive these cars.
“It is clear that charging clean air zones have the greatest impact by bringing the majority of zones into compliance by 2021,” said a report by the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
The Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP)—the laboratory test to measure fuel consumption, emissions of pollutants, and CO2 from passenger cars—first applied to new cars in September of last year.
Before the WLTP, the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) was the test used but, because of progression in technology and driving conditions, it had become outdated because the test based its values on a theoretical driving profile while the WLTP cycle uses real-driving data, collected from around the world and better shows typical driving behaviour.
From the 1st of January 2019, databases will show only the WLTP results for Fuel Consumption, yet the results for CO2 emissions will continue to be NEDC (or NEDC equivalent) figures until the 6th of April 2020.
Mike Hawes, Chief Executive Officer at Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), said of WLTP: “This is an opportunity to reassure consumers that their cars will achieve figures much closer to the official ones.”
Driving change
How driver licensing will work if you drive within the EU after the 29th of March 2019 (when the UK leaves the EU) will depend on a ‘deal or no-deal‘ situation, so if you wish to drive to an EU country soon, it might be best to go in the next couple of months.
The current situation is simple; you need only your UK driving licence to drive anywhere in the EU, for work or pleasure. Yet if there’s a ‘no-deal’ Brexit, the mutual recognition of driving licences between the UK and EU could end, which means drivers may need an International Driving Permit (IDP) to drive within the EU (which some countries outside the EU already require). If this happens, the International Driving Permit you will need to buy will depend on which EU country you plan to visit. Cyprus, Ireland, Malta, and Spain recognise the ‘1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic’ licence. The licence remains in force for 12 months. All other EU countries including Norway and Switzerland recognises the ‘1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic’ licence, which remains in force for three years.
Even if the UK makes a deal with the EU, the government has decided that from the 1st of February 2019, the AA and RAC may no longer issue IDPs, nor will mail order facilities exist to apply for them. Instead, around 2,500 Post Offices (instead of the current 89) will issue them.
Cough up
From the 1st of April, Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for all cars, vans, and motorcycles will increase in line with RPI (one of the two main measures of inflation).
Most drivers of cars registered before 1 April 2017 will have to pay an extra £5 in standard rate VED for the year, meaning an annual bill of £145 for petrol and diesel cars and £135 for hybrids. Owners of older, high emission models will pay up to £15 extra. Buyers of new vehicles with CO2 emissions over 255g/km must pay an extra £65 on first-year car tax. The premium tax owners must pay for the first five years at the standard rate on cars with a list price of £40,000 or more has increased from £310 to £320. Owners of electric cars will still not have to pay VED charges.
Ministers said the increase in car tax in line with RPI would “ensure that VED receipts are maintained in real terms and that motorists continue to make a fair contribution to the public finances,”.
2019 also brings the following developments:
People with hidden disabilities will be eligible to apply for Blue Badges, Scotland will introduce a drug driving limit (which will involve roadside testing to allow police to check drivers’ levels of prescription and illegal drugs and prosecute where relevant), new electric and hybrid cars will have to come fitted with sound generators so that the vehicles make a noise when travelling at low speeds, and all new cars launched by Volvo from 2019 onwards will be pure electric or plug-in hybrid.
So, while we don’t yet know what the post-Brexit UK will look like, at least regarding driving it is clear there’s a firm focus, and that focus is on reducing emissions
Which of these changes do you support and which do you oppose? What changes to motoring has most affected you in 2018? Let us know in the comments.
Utter nonsense in regards to Brexit and needing an IDP to drive in the EU. Most European non-EU countries don’t require an International Driving Permit now so why should we need one in the future? Future EU travel won’t be impacted from a licencing perspective, but we may see the return of the ‘green card’ for insurance….
Yet again the news is that the motorist is once again being treated as a cash cow for the treasury with a rise in VED. Disgraceful!! Furthermore I ride and I pay more in Ved than a lot of cars. How is this right ?less damaging to the road and less polluting. Yet my wife pays £35 for her i20. Go figure.
not convinced motorcycles are less polluting. often im passed when travelling at the legal limit, by bikers travelling at 90+mph (judging by the rate they get past me at) and i can SMELL the excessively rich fuel mixture (and in some cases SEE it via exhaust smoke) as these bikes pass me. and clearly im not talking about puny little 2 stroke things. im talking about 600cc+ 4 stroke sports bikes! and from what i can gather, bikes have been (until recently at least) outside of the regulations cars have to suffer as regards Catalytic converters, emissions testing (to the same degree to test the ioperation of the catalytic converters etc) that cars have to pass to remain road legal. many bike tyres are as big as car tyres yet last about a tenth as long, causing more pollution in the making and disposal of the tyres!
Yep, same here my wifes fiesta diesel no ved, my bmw r1200rt -84 quid! Bout right always been ripped off in this country!
A £5 a year increase in VED is 0.08%, or less than one thousandth of the average cost of running a car.
I have been told by the AA that the IDP required for driving in France and thd rest of Europe (other than Spain) ie the 1968 convention will not be made available until after the 31st March 2019. This is a decision made by the Dept of Transport. If true what about the 100’s or even 1000’s of people already in Europe with their vehicles who travel there to avoid the British winter. Most don’t travel back until April, are they going to be stranded? They clearly cannot attend a UK post office in person to obtain the required permit, they will be out of the country. Well done Dept of Transport! How ridiculous.
Let common sense prevail.
It never will as long as we have the clowns of Westminster in residence, oops! sorry I forgot their proper title “The right honourable clowns of Westminster”, or better still I’ll just call them MP’s
Parliament consists of two houses: The house of Fools and the house of the privileged! (many of whom are former Fools)
common Sense is not that common.
Since when did any government use common sense?
Sold the car and bought a pair of skates. 85 year old !!
Explain why I have to pay full VED of £240 each for two 20 plus year old classics that don’t cover more than 1500 miles a year between them and £30 a year and unlimited miles for a Skoda Yeti. No joined up thinking just a rush to milk the motorist and climbing on the emmissions bandwagon to justify it. I travel to london and yes the pollution is awful.I live in a small city in the North and we have no such problem. Go figure as they say
I agree, I own a 39-year-old RR Shadow 11 that does a similar mileage yet still pay the extortionate duty for a car rarely used.
Well from next year you won’t have to pay any duty at all on your Shadow. (Nice car, by the way.)
whilst i agree with you on the fact that you shouldnt have to pay as much on cars rarely used, there is the argument that if it bothers you, and you rarely use it, why bother owning it/them?
and that model is a very nice car, by the way. the only RR ive ever had the pleasure to have a ride in!
I have a 1.6 litre mk1 mx5 and the VED is £265? The smokey diesel I had before it was £110. Ludicrous.
A few years ago I used to drive a 2004 1.8 Vectra & paid approx £230 for a years tax, for work I drove a 2002 Ford Econoline with a 5.4 litre V8 & weighing 3.5 tonnes & that cost the same as my Vectra to tax!
Ask New Labour and Gordon Brown, they invented the system based on CO2 emissions and encouraged motorists to buy diesels as they produce less CO2 but they never took NOX into account. Vehicles pre about 2000 were taxed in 2 bands, up to 1549cc then above that even though they were more economical on fuel and some were cleaner than the newer cars then. There is no easy solution but all revenue from Excise Duty and Fuel Duty should be used for repairing the kart tracks they call roads and other benefits should come from sources such as income tax, NI and VAT instead of everything going in one pot.
Contax, I want to know were this went wrong to as small cars bought within this co2 tax have stayed the same rate yet my diesel near the top end at the time, is now over 300 quid an looking like another 15-20 quid shafting. It’s out of order, but what did you expect with the torys in power!
If labour ever gets in again (more likely a coalition government) there will be no difference because governments are ruled by what happens in central London and by shouting minority groups with nothing better than to think of than the next cause to espouse.
It is astonishing that our capital city with fantastic public transport has a pollution problem that the government, TfL and the Mayor cannot apparently solve!!! Answers on the back of a postage stamp.
Other cities have trams, trolleybuses, electric taxis and buses, traffic free zones and so on. If residents want to rely on transport that pollutes at the point of use, then they are welcome to move elsewhere – and that includes Kensington and Chelsea!
The disparity with London could be eased by having a London office space tax (Going to central government), instead of putting up VED. If this tax is heavy enough, it will encourage companies to not have London offices, reducing the need for people to travel to the capital, and solving the pollution and congestion problems.
Alternatively, we could just ban all vehicles except electric or hydrogen ones from central london.
With the country on its knees and car sales at rock bottom you would think that some one in
the so called think tank on these matters would put all these
Increases on hold and put more incentives out there to encourage more motorists to buy more fuel effective vehicles.
I just love this paragraph. Ministers said the increase in car tax in line with RPI would “ensure that VED receipts are maintained in real terms and that motorists continue to make a fair contribution to the public finances,”……….. really??
Absolutely, it would be much fairer to add 1 or 2% to fuel duty and then its pay as you drive. Low mileage drivers or low consumption cars wouldn’t pay as much as the 4×4 Chelsea tractor brigade. Then put a graded purchase tax on cars (by emission rates) so higher emitting vehicles cost more to buy and run.
Ah, ha, a Lib Dem. Now what would Reps. say.
Tory clowns in power for the few not the many
Under delusional JC and John McD everything will turn to c**p – be careful what you wish for. Up here in the NE people have voted Labour for ever – has it benefited them – not one jot..
All the political parties will use climate change and emission controls to separate you from your cash. Choose a vehicle that minimises the damage.
And you would rather have Corby the clown?
Or perhaps the Scottish Numpty Party?
What has this stupid exchange got to do with anything in the article?
Then what is the article about ! I cannot say do you watch the news or read the papers as you won’t see anything in on either of those media systems. As all witheld. Fuel prices are in the line with protests. They complain about the ozone lear then in other words they are going to force upon us 5G which has been proved to cause cancer and kill any unborn or seriously damage before birth and make women fertile. What 5G is a weapon of war which can be weaponised at a flick of a switch to microwave as first used in WWII.
You see everything is connected some way or another.
Ps Google all this before you say it has nothing to do with article.
I tell it how I see It
The way things are going neither will get in next time as the European union will be in full control according to occurrences in Europe France for instance the violent riots. It will eventually happen in all EU Countries.
Then the Bankers who Control and finance the world especially the European Union army already on standby in training camps in Germany.
Ironic really Germany as that’s in their genes to be at the forefront of wars.
Could go on for ages about this. But leave it for later when I told you so.
I tell it how I see it.
John kent. They have said no such thing, only that G5 is untested on a large scale ,as for weaponised, the transmiter used in the phone network is much much smaller than the military one. As for your European army, been on the cards for years.
Where are these training camps in Germany please? You are another fear merchant or an idiot. More likely the later.
I believe we should move to paying for the road we drive on and mileage should be recorded every year at MOT stations to tally against mileage recorded on road use, any vehicle found to have had speedometer tampered with should be impounded and crushed as a penalty. Vehicle above a certain weight should pay at higher rate per mile as they cause more wear on the roads.
That is a great idea but would need to be reflected in the cost of community workers who already pay the NHS for their miles covered in their work. I would just leave if I had to pay for the miles I do for work at 45p per mile. I feel the bumps, scrapes and damage, wear and tear on my car has devalued it far more than if I had just used it for private use. So I would feel agrieved if I was expected to pay for any more usage for work. Let’s not even cover the esculating cost of parking!! And all on £10 or less an hour for the work I do….
That’s exactly how it should be, the heavier the vehicle the more tax, but as the tax does not actually go towards repairing the road (or only a small part) then the government coffers need to be kept topped up somehow, and the motorist is the easy target.
I agree on that one. The heavier the vehicle the more damage to c***py road surfacing done with under the counter cheaper materials. As soon as a pot hole is fixed it’s guaranteed to sink within a month so heavier vehicles should pay more. I ride a motorcycle which is not to heavy and occasionally hit potholes. I don’t believe the Government spend even half of what they receive off road users. But it doesn’t matter what anyone says on here they do what they want the Government.
Long ago I read that a 44-tonne lorry causes one million times as much damage to a road surface as a one-tonne car (ie it takes a million cars passing along a piece of road to cause as much wear and tear as one lorry passing over it). Yes, it would make moral sense to charge for road maintenance according to the wear and tear a vehicle causes, but it’s not practical to charge £145million VED for a single HGV…. The roads are the arteries of the nation and HGVs are the life blood. Charging per driven mile would also make moral sense, but the way you put it doesn’t avoid the potential for fraud – if you can tamper with your odometer, then what’s to stop you from making it look as though you’ve only done 5k miles in a year rather than the true 10-15k miles? Big Brother methods of recording the actual movements of vehicles risk being seen as just that – and nobody really wants Big Brother watching them all the time (even if it already happens a lot more than they realise). That’s also ignoring the sheer cost of setting up all the hardware to do all this monitoring on minor roads and retrofit every vehicle with transponders (although satnav devices are exactly that – and have you noticed how they are becoming more common…?). The bottom line is that the tax system is imperfect and that vehicle taxation is largely for revenue purposes rather than road maintenance. The government spends more than it taxes, so unless you believe that the whole State system needs severe rationalisation (bye-bye all-encompassing NHS, bye-bye Benefits-for-life, for instance), you have to put up with the gamut of taxes.
Actually it is 36,000 cars not one million
more goods should be taken by rail like it used to be. the system always used to work saving the roads.
The problem with putting all the increase on fuel duty is that it would clobber the poor (who of necessity drive older, less economical cars) and especially those who live in rural areas, who have no alternative but to drive to shops, schools, work because public transport has been allowed to become so run-down.
well said , you should become minister for rural affairs talking sense like that.
Not only the poor, but also those living in rural areas, where the bus services are infrequent and often stop running early in the evening. Not a lot of use if you are on shift work or work late (like waiters etc.)
Most 4×4 Chelsea tractor drivers do not pay the tax on their fuel, it goes through the company books as many own their own businesses or corner shops. Even the vehicle is covered as a business vehicle, and don’t get me started on private use being chargeable.
What tosh, how many SUVs do you see on the road. They are not all business users
not all no. some people (farmers etc) have legitimate NEED of 4x4s, especially in places like rural yourkshirse or the lake district. its those with urban postcodes that have no need for a 4×4. its THESE that should be taxed to the hilt.
and dont get me started on the idiots who think they ‘need’ one to tow a little caravan. after all, how did all the caravanners manage before 4x4s were everywhere?
A Range Rover Sport is not a farmers vehicle. Most farmers I see in my very rural area use Japanese pickup trucks (Toyota, Nissan, Isuzu, etc) or Defenders. It really does annoy me seeing all these oversized “cars” driving around in cities or on motorways when they obviously have the means to afford something far more fuel efficient or even electric. It always amazes me how irresponsible humans can be just to satisfy their own egos.
how many range rover sports do you see with a tow ball to pull a cattle trailer not many.
why are large cars not treated the same as 4×4’s as they can weigh as much and pull the same weight.
Sadly, those in government are not that intelligent
My thoughts entirely,the revenue generated from motorists should at least provide a decent road surface to drive on free of damage and potholes. Instead it’s wasted on vanity projects.
From the ministerial statement it says nothing about using the extra income to maintain or improve the road network.
I have driven on better roads in third world countries ,compared with some of ours in certain counties in this country,
Some bush road in Africa are in better shape than many of our roads,it`s a disgrace when you consider the amount we pay in motoring taxes.
If RPI is a fair measure of inflation for VED receipts, why was CPI adopted for increases to pensions? CPI excludes ALL housing costs such as Council Tax & home insurance; RPI includes increases to housing costs.
Keith Simpson, I’m surprised that you are naive enough to ask that question. When does Joe Public EVER get a fair deal?
It’s all very well aligning with updated global data relating to driving styles, however what about those of us who only do a few 000 miles each year. Yes, I have an older petrol car which is sporty & so accept that the emissions & therefore Road Tax will be somewhat higher than on newer vehicles, however, I always use high performance fuel & have done less than 6000 miles in the past 2 years yet paid over £300 road tax in 2018. As I now work from home 5 days a week my mileage will reduce even further, yet I can expect at the very least a £15 increase in 2019!
Surely it’s about time the £/tax justified the means when it comes to environmental impact & actual road use…..3000 m/yr in an older model petrol v’s 30,000 m/yr in a modern diesel!! Would love to know the true comparison on the environment. Moreover, surely implementing a £/emmisions/miles levy would encourage reduced usage à la energy smart meters.
clearly you live in a place where there are good transport links and can afford the costs of a car on such a low mileage. there are those who cant do without a car though. rural cumbria/north yorkshire for examples. the town i grew up in has 2 buses per WEEK and THATS a recent thing. there are very few jobs in the town so you have to travel to get work. most people couldnt afford to move as houses around there are often inherited and any that are sold are bought up as retirement homes/holiday homes etc by people in more affluent areas. i moved away because i needed to leave my parents house (family of my own on the way) and had to leave the area because i couldnt afford the rent or mortgage in my home town. i had to move to a cheaper area with similar transport issues. i COULD get to work by bus, but it would take me 2 hours (to travel 4 miles) and id need some way to carry my work equipment (too much for a bus trip) and at least 2 other people who work at the same place would have the same issues.
so contrary to your beliefs, a pay per mile charge wouldnt reduce car useage for many. they would just end up living in poverty or on the streets (many are borderline NOW) and the WORST OFFENDERS (those with a 4×4 or similar with no NEED for a 4×4) are the ones that wouldnt be worried as they can AFFORD IT. tax increases dont bother my friend, for example. he doesnt need a 4×4, but drives a £100k Range Rover. they bother me a LOT. i drive an old Mondeo! its all i can afford!
Like most taxes, they will impact the least well-off; those with older cars being worst affected. I doubt whether transport infrastructure will improve as our roads become clogged with even more traffic. To be honest, I’d rather use public transport but there’s no way I can rely on it; poor time-keeping, dirty buses and trains as well as extortionate pricing, puts me off.
More tax should mean roads without potholes
it should,, but it won’t as they will waste the money elsewhere
waste money on super highways for cyclist who pay NOTHING NOT EVEN INSURANCE when they scratch your car ,they can hire a Santander bike having never ridden a bike before cut in front of a car /get knocked down who’s fault “” the motorist “”
They certainly do waste cash – loads of it. Take the HS 2 project, at what cost will it (in theory) save 20 minutes on a rail journey. Not enough time to even have a good s**t! Woeful. It’s criminal use of taxpayers’ money
And only people on expenses will be able to afford the tickets!
You must be joking.
Why does everyone put a negative sant on Brexit ?…If these idiots who call themselves M.P.s ……Looked at the E.U. tactics and did exactly the the same thing back to Europe I.E :- tariffs . Licences .Charges etc …?? Using Europe’s own formulas back at them …They would sh*t themselves…. We are Europe’s best customer…..No one closes their doors to their best customer ?
Because to most people under and over boomer age it’s looking more and more like one of the greatest suicide attempts in history.
However I completely agree with you on the last part of your comment. But that’s on our impotent government, they have never done any of the less than honorable things many of the other EU nations have done that have allowed them to make money. We tried to play the game fairly like its a game of cricket, when we should have took the European dirty tackling and fake injury technique.
Best place to take the EU to pieces is from the inside, it’s a British tradition to screw over European unity after all. From the outside we’re just an impotent had been with no friends and no real money making potential outside the city of London.
Sound generators? I thought the idea was to reduce pollution! Sound is pollution!
never been nearly run over by a silent and deadly Prius. Those things sneak up on you
And most of them are cab drivers too. You should go to Amsterdam, 80% Tesla cabs can’t hear them and cheap to use.
I’m deaf, how will this help. You don’t hear push bikes or oap chariots having to fit such a device. You just need to look where you are going.
Everyone should carry a yellow jacket.
Isnt that some kind of large wasp?
No!! it’s the French having a good time.
In error
Why do electric cars not have to pay VED when those cars still take a toll on the roads ? !
I agree. The electric car is a more common vehicle now and yet, they want VED. I HAVE A 1.0 litre fiesta with no, Zero VED. WHICH IS WHY I GOT THE CAR IN THE FIRST PLACE. so now I’ll be charged VED. It’s such a con. Tax on this tax on that. Petrol & Diesel prices are disgusting and increase at Christmas, Easter and summer holidays here in the UK. Doesn’t matter what we say, write or do, it won’t change.
It’s about time they started to inforce insurance Premiums on cyclists too. Bad driving, swerving to avoid potholes increases accidents that most of the motorists get the blame and are accused for.
Sick of the whole thing
I ride a motorcycle and may as well have no suspension on it as it’s virtually impossible not to hit a crater each time I go out. If anyone damages there vehicle while out on the road or injures themselves. Take a load of pictures on your smartphone all from different angles and if necessary seek medical advice but take a photo of any street lighting lamppost No details in front and rear of accident as you can claim for damages. I did and wasn’t even questioned about it just told to get an estimate then about 6 days later money was paid into my account. The main thing after taking photographs of pot holes is find out who owns and maintains the stretch of road where ocurance happened.
If it’s a private road even better.
I hope this is usefull to you’s out there on the dodgems.
Also they can charge them off domestic electricity supply which is only charged 5% VAT instead of the usual 20%, the 5% rate was introduced to help keep peoples bills down just for heating and household use not to power cars, they will be hit when more people buy eclectic cars and not before time.
Pre-1993 the VAT rate on domestic fuel was 0%. VAT on domestic fuel was introduced at 8% by the conservatives in 1993. Labour reduced it to 5%.
VAT on domestic fuel was not “introduced to help keep people’s bills down” because it increased them! It was a means of generating more tax from an easy target (everyone needs domestic fuel). I’m not sure any government would have the guts to increase VAT on domestic fuel now. Anyway, the government has since introduced its new stealth tax, known as insurance premium tax. Just look how that has been hiked up over the past few budgets. I guess it’s heading for 20%.
VAT on household fuel has been blamed on EU policy, but it was the conservative government that introduced it. EU policy states that once the rate had been increased above 0%, it can never be less than 5%, which is what it is now. It will be interesting to see if the government abolishes VAT on domestic fuel after Brexit.
Don’t worry about people with electric cars only paying 5% VAT on the electricity used to charge their cars from home, rather than the rip-off fuel tax the rest of us have to pay. Once everyone has been conned into accepting a so-called Smart Meter, the way will be paved for variable pricing (amongst many other negatives for the consumer). I’m sure electric cars will ‘talk’ to the meters and ensure an equivalent tax to petrol and diesel cars is paid.
How many people know that Smart Meters have an inbuilt contactor that can be switched off remotely by some keyboard drone? At the push of a button, someone in an office miles away can remotely disconnect your electricity supply, and it has happened already as anyone paying attention to the BBC’s Rip-Off Britain programme will know.
So as to encourage electric vehicle sales. When they really take off, from a sales perspective, they will become taxation targets. It’s called progess, would you believe. Ministerial cars should now be all electric, as our leaders should be seen to lead from the front. Some chance!
Why do electric cars not have to pay VED when these cars take a toll on the roads etc ?
To encourage people to buy these cars, and to encourage manufacturers to advance the technology. Without these incentives we’d continue to drive petrol and diesel cars, which is not a sustainable long-term option.
Don’t kid yourself, as per the low emissions cars, this will change once enough people change, as the government will still need the tax raised now from someone
Here we go again with the government penalising the people on lower income forcing more money out of them. Cars should pay road tax and other taxes dependant on the financial ability of the owner. These price rises and those of other items are already squeezing the pockets of the lower paid, this could be the straw that broke the camels back, and will probably force some lower wage earners to give up driving.
Car buyers should check the VED rate for a vehicle before purchase instead of putting style and design first if they are struggling to afford a car, it will still get you to work without excessive power and every gadget possible.
Oh yes contax, all cars will be 140 quid after first 3 years any way. Let’s see how long that stays true is another thing.
some people need bigger cars out of necessity though. i have a Mondeo. i need it as i carry up to 5 people and equipment for my job (including myself) and trust me, that many people and that amount of kit isnt fitting in a Ford Ka!
Oh hum, the joys of motoring. I still have an International Driving licence, needed one in Germany whilst in the army many moons ago, to drive a civvy car around Europe. Those where the days, Border checks every border, open the boot, carrying/smuggling fuel in jerry cans. Dutch where OK. French as always took anything they wanted. Worse still where UK customs, who would target us. Strip car searches, every time. Just can’t wait for the next generation of chaves? How will you fit a boom box to a Subaru plug-in/EV? A market again for Tannoys fitted, they made pedestrians jump back in the day. Fun, fun, fun, ahead.
Vehicle tax is extortionate already, i own a Ford Focus 1.6 2003 and do no more than 1000 miles a year but pay £91 for 6 months. . I don’t see our highways benefitting from vehicle tax.
no offence but at that mileage, do you actually NEED a car?
Darn. And here was me thinking if I held on long enough mine would be free to purchase and operate.
I read the line “Ministers said the increase in car tax in line with RPI would “ensure that VED receipts are maintained in real terms and that motorists continue to make a fair contribution to the public finances,”.
A fair contribution????? would be nice if the idiot “ministers” spent some of the motorists contributions on making life just a little bit easier for the motorist…! Muppets.
So Scottish police are now going to be unqualified doctors to judge that your medication can be classed dangerous?.
Hence you may lose your license / job and your homes.
I know it’s all in the word of safety? but the police are not qualified to make these decisions and tests full stop.
Doctors will tell their patients about driving while taking their medication??🤔
Isn’t it interesting that the Government is basing the incoming increases on the RPI when anything beneficial (Pensions, wage increases etc) are now mostly calculated using the (lower) CPI? Surprise, surprise!
I think that car drivers salarys should be paid directly into the treasury to be sure we contribute fairly !
F****** Brexit again! I’ve yet to hear one advantage!
Motorist will be making a ‘fair contribution to Public Finance’ Good grief the Motorists already make MORE than a fair contribution to Public Finances Ministers are still trying to crucify the motorist!!!!!
So many commentators are completely wrong on this – taxes (of all types) on motoring still don’t cover the environmental damage and damage to human health they cause. Taxes on motoring need to be at least doubled before they come anywhere near meeting those costs – never mind the potholed roads.
Another pratt, tax does not cover damage it just another rip off! If they are so bothered about damage they would ban you from London entirely, but no, you need to come so we’ll rip you off with a tax an say it’s to save the environment.
your born then you pay your tax then you die merry xmas baa humbug
The more that can not afford to run a car the better Less pollution Less congestion Less other things caused by too many cars everywhere Get more cars off the road the better it will be for everyone No sympathy for those who will moan about motoring becoming more expensive
So you live right next door to your work, family, hospital, doctor, an shops? Some of us have to travel to work in rural areas, as in prison officers at odd times in the day and to cap it off they have just removed our only bus as it didn’t make money apparently. Even visitors now have to use a car too!
Good that all vehicles will need to make some noise: often the first way that one knows that something is coming.
I suppose VED must go up in line with inflation: but they must spend the money on fixing the roads NOW – I might be dead by the time the 14-year quoted period has expired (I’m 75)! And in connection with this, a good idea to extend the blue badge!
Possibly off-piste, but these new street lights (downlights/dark skies) make one think that there is a car there.
blue badge scheme extension is leaving it open to even MORE abuse, as (round my way at least) its heavily abused NOW. ive suffered from osteo arthritis since i was in my early teens (im in my 40s now) and still have to carry on as normal. govt. doesnt deem it a disability to have joint pain. yet i regularly see people in a parents or similar car, park in the disabled bay, blue badge on dash (presumably NOT theirs) SPRINT into the shop (something i could NEVER manage) get what they need, RUN back to the car and drive off. theyre the ONLY OCCUPANT in the car.
now im not saying people with invisible disabilities arent disabled BUT the blue badge scheme was brought about for those with MOBILITY ISSUES. bringing it in for people WITHOUT mobility issues, i feel opens it up to further abuse! around here almost everyone over 70 seems to have one and id say most of them have no visible disability as it stands now!
The fastest milkman in the west ! R.I.P. B.H.
Once again the motorist is the easy target, something has to be wrong when a person who stabbed a person who died and get only a sentence of 10 months but a motorist and has a accident and someone dies they get dealt with far more harshly. There is no lower form of life than a politician.
Your all the idiots who put these governments into power so if you don’t like what they do form another party and vote them in. It’s your decision. You only get what you deserve because you all sit on your a***s and complain. Do something about it. !!!
Once again the ministers hit the pockets of the family car owner. I wonder if they forget that we can watch the poor example they set in the house now?
Good idea to make all vehicles emit some noise: often the first indication that something’s there. Add more tax to fuel, and abolish VED or have a low (£10?) fee for all so you’re licensed: a better way of raising revenue in proportion to usage. And make sure the extra revenue is spent on fixing the roads NOW: I’m 75 and may be dead when the quoted 14-year period expires! In connection with this last point, a good idea to extend the blue badge as indicated above. Probably off-piste, but these new downlit street lights are confusing: they make one think there is a car round the corner.
Why will uk driving licences not be valid in the EU after Brexit? Is it a case of The EU throwing their toys out of the pram and just being petty or are they calling into question the quality of the British driving test. Will we be doing a tit-for-tat and asking EU drivers to pay for a UK ID licence or a charge for driving on UK roads?
They’re accepted at the moment as part of our membership to the EU. Strangely enough, when we leave the EU that’ll cease to be the case – particularly if we leave without a deal. It’s not them throwing their toys out of the pram, it’s a known and expected outcome.
With a deal, we could get equivalency, but our government doesn’t appear to have put any kind of importance on negotiating that aspect (and to be fair, there is a lot else to be covered).
Good old Brexit re driving in Europe, another nail in our coffin especially in Northern Ireland, makes it a very small Country without the IDP. What a mess,, mess upon mess. more tax on car tax yippie. We are taxed to death. Time UK followes France re protests
In the event of a no deal brexit will continental motorists have to pay to drive in the UK, and if not why not !
This is a polite way to say we the government are going to rip off the average car driver again. We at the moment are paying well over our fair share to the economy of this country. Our contribution in car tax fuel tax and insurance to drive on badly maintained roads, extra tax on MOT’s VAT on a car purchase, so far cyclists are having a free ride wait till the government chases the average driver off the roads then they will start on you cyclist. Remember they said that diesel will always be cheaper (ten pence a litre than petrol) where is that then?. Once again a move for the rich against the average public. Finally, ROAD TAX WAS CHANGED TO VEHICLE EXERCISE DUTY SO WE COULD NOT QUERY WHY THE MONEY WAS NOT SPENT ON THE ROADS. WHO ARE THEY TRYING TO CON.
At present living in Northern Ireland going by your comments above regarding driving in Ireland we would require an international driving permit would this apply to all residents living in Northern Ireland who would wish to drive from Belfast to Dublin to get a ferry from Dublin to Holyhead North Wales, as the UK driving licence has been acceptable to allow us to drive in Europe at present why should there be any change when the UK leaves the EEC, The EEC are only looking for another means off getting money from British drivers, what does everybody else think
The trouble is that once again those of us who are less well off will yet again pay the price because we can’t afford to dispense with out less efficient car… those with money are laughing. It sickens me though, at the same time, I understand the need to improve emissions – I find this all very depressing and disillusioning…. there has to be a way to help those of us on limited incomes who still need our cars…
Scrap government gas guzzlers and their cars!
More bullsh##t from he top!! Rather than promote better engineered cars its rape the motorist yet again…
I feel it’s a cock up just for the government to get more money out of poor people
What have been said is only about the money. This is a great robbery of drivers! Where is this money will go? For the air filters for everyone on the street? Or for oxygen pocket balloons? Full rubbish ! You will not improve the air guality and make air cleaner till emissions in all countries will be erased. But this is impossible! The air masses is freely moving around the planet and you can not change or stop it . The environment you are driving in now will be far away in one hour by the wind ! What you are going to change? Stupid stupid idea!!! And you will be happy that automobile industry going up!
Make it fair! Slowly change approach to air pollution, close automobile production, find and an alternatives and make a money another way! ARE THE DRIVERS GUITY THAT ALL YOU DID BEFORE WAS WRONG? Who did this mistake that everyone has to pay now for it?
Government should think before put its own people down and punish them for buying cars.
Why we have not be told before that to buy a car is so bad and we will be penalized?
I remember the days when Britain was not a member of the EU, and I had to buy an International Driving License for a hire car in Spain. It cost money, I used it and was valid for 12 months. If the media is so worried about this change, why don’t they insist that all EU drivers after Brexit do the same to drive here, along with compulsory health insurance. Its not rocket science.
As someone mentioned on here, electric cars attracting no VED will just be a temporary thing to attract people away from petrol and diesel – especially diesel, and then sooner rather than too much later electric cars will pay VED too.
But don’t forget you’ll be getting massively irradiated in your electric car with all that electro magnetic radiation and frequencies being given off, not to mention once 5G with it its 60ghz millimetre waves is up and running affecting the actual air we breathe. Global warming ?! You must be kidding, carbon dioxide is plant food for the trees ans plants, and more oxygen for us to breathe. It’s just another one of their agendas.
> Global warming ?! You must be kidding, carbon dioxide is plant food for the trees ans plants, and more oxygen for us to breathe. It’s just another one of their agendas.
For anyone reading this in the future, most of the Western population know that someone saying something like this is dangerously misinformed. We’re sorry we let them screw up the planet, unfortunately they appear to have had some help getting some profit-orientated people into power.
Exactly the same as what’s happening in France. EU has total control and wants us to kick up a fuss about the rises in fuel costs ie in your home and on the road. Using excuses like Ozone lear to punish drivers. Hoping a revolt will happen just like France and when the whole of Europe are rioting it’s going to be the EU’s excuse to march in and take over with there master race. World one Government run by bankers who already own the world by greed mass murders wars started for greed.
I tell it how I see it.
revolt will NEVER happen. because we british ar far to soft and accepting for THAT to happen! remember when the fuel refinery blockades happened? didnt do much good, as fuel is already still at an equal or higher price than it was THEN
I don’t see why owners of electric cars are exempt from VED charges. They too contribute to road wear therefore should pay towards cost of repair etc.
Lets get this business of road wear put to bed. Vehicles under 3tonnes cause negligible wear to road surfaces and may even assist by sealing the surface. Roads are structurally designed solely by reference to the number of standard axle loads of commercial vehicles expected to pass over them during their design life. Car axle loads do not figure in the equation at all. The biggest problem caused by cars is congestion, our town and city centres are filled with cars, 80% of which have only one person inside. This is not a good use of road space and you only have yourself to blame of you are one of these drivers.
@Dave Whilst you’re not wrong, you’re only describing routine use there – i.e. if everything is going right.
The cost of maintaining roads includes exceptional cases too, such as where an accident results in damage to the fabric of the road, or the nearby furniture (such as the central reservation barrier).
Commercial vehicles will generally do more damage in these cases, but the damage caused by light vehicles is not negligible, and is almost certainly more frequent. EVs are not excluded from this either (although, currently with their fewer numbers, it’s likely a tiny percentage).
It’s not entirely unreasonable that they should have to contribute. Not least because VED explicitly isn’t a road tax fund, but a form of general taxation, so even if the above wasn’t true, it still does not preclude taxing EVs.
Near where I live, you will be lucky if you can find a Post Office.
or public transport, id guess
They should add duty to fuel this would be much fairer to the low user who at the moment pays the same. there would be no getting around this tax it would be pay as you go.
fuel is already overtaxed as it is! if it included the VED and insurance, id be more happy with the tax level on fuel. but it doesnt. but it would mean there were no insurance dodgers either.