The Chancellor is facing a huge budget hole due to the rise in the use of electric cars, and a national road pricing scheme is one option to deal with it
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak is said to be looking at ways to make up for a tax shortfall
Motorists could be charged for using Britain’s roads under plans reportedly being considered by Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
The Times reported the move is being mulled to cover a tax shortfall of £40 billion caused by the rise in popularity of electric cars.
The UK currently only has one major toll road – the M6 Toll in the West Midlands – and drivers also face levies when using certain tunnels and bridges.
According to the report, Mr Sunak is “very interested” in the concept of a national road pricing scheme but it is unclear how the charges would be calculated.
Currently motorists pay 57.95p in fuel duty for each litre of petrol and diesel they buy – a figure which has been frozen since March 2011.
This brings in £28 billion a year, or 1.3% of national income, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, while VAT on fuel and vehicle excise duty also raises money for the Treasury.
