Foreigners Not Paying Road Tax
Discussion
So, if you drive to pretty much ant other European country,,,,In the past 8 months Ive driven in France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Netherlands a a few others and if I havn't had to pay tolls I've had to buy a weekly vignette (Motorway tax sticker).
Im sure this has been covered before but isn't it a bout time that drivers from Europe should pay to drive on our roads. It would be so easy to collect the fee. As soon as someone gets off the ferry or train they are checked to see whether they have got a UK tax disc, if not then a weekly/monthly or yearly vignette could be issued. (£10 a week, £30 a month, £300 a year) plus a bit more for lorries etc.
Shirley it makes sense, it would raise cash and make that lot from over there pay to drive on our roads.
Im sure this has been covered before but isn't it a bout time that drivers from Europe should pay to drive on our roads. It would be so easy to collect the fee. As soon as someone gets off the ferry or train they are checked to see whether they have got a UK tax disc, if not then a weekly/monthly or yearly vignette could be issued. (£10 a week, £30 a month, £300 a year) plus a bit more for lorries etc.
Shirley it makes sense, it would raise cash and make that lot from over there pay to drive on our roads.
Do you have to pay it on every road in those countries you've been to, or only on 'motorways'?
I've driven through France, Belgium, Spain & Germany, and only paid any tolls in France and Spain - where I believe they're semi-privately owned (like the M6 Toll in the UK). Even though there were other routes available in France and Spain, the toll roads were much quicker. Never had an issue in Belgium or Germany.
What if a 'tourist' doesn't want to use our motorways? There's no way to check as most of our motorways don't have toll booths on, and I already pay to use the M6 Toll.
I've driven through France, Belgium, Spain & Germany, and only paid any tolls in France and Spain - where I believe they're semi-privately owned (like the M6 Toll in the UK). Even though there were other routes available in France and Spain, the toll roads were much quicker. Never had an issue in Belgium or Germany.
What if a 'tourist' doesn't want to use our motorways? There's no way to check as most of our motorways don't have toll booths on, and I already pay to use the M6 Toll.
Not too bothered about holidaymakers, but what boils my piss are those who come and live here, bringing foreign registered cars with them and never re-registering them here. I have an acquaintance who has been driving around in the UK in a French registered Mercedes for 4 years. Parks where he wants and throws away the tickets, doesn't worry about speeding, who knows what insurance he holds (pretty sure it is not legally insured) etc etc.
What to do? Should I tip off the old bill?
What to do? Should I tip off the old bill?
Lordbenny said:
So, if you drive to pretty much ant other European country,,,,In the past 8 months Ive driven in France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Netherlands a a few others and if I havn't had to pay tolls I've had to buy a weekly vignette (Motorway tax sticker).
Im sure this has been covered before but isn't it a bout time that drivers from Europe should pay to drive on our roads. It would be so easy to collect the fee. As soon as someone gets off the ferry or train they are checked to see whether they have got a UK tax disc, if not then a weekly/monthly or yearly vignette could be issued. (£10 a week, £30 a month, £300 a year) plus a bit more for lorries etc.
Shirley it makes sense, it would raise cash and make that lot from over there pay to drive on our roads.
No it doesn't make sense. Do you think you would make enough money to pay for all the infrastructure and staff you'd need to do this? I highly doubt there is a sufficient number of continental vehicles travelling on UK roads to make it profitable.Im sure this has been covered before but isn't it a bout time that drivers from Europe should pay to drive on our roads. It would be so easy to collect the fee. As soon as someone gets off the ferry or train they are checked to see whether they have got a UK tax disc, if not then a weekly/monthly or yearly vignette could be issued. (£10 a week, £30 a month, £300 a year) plus a bit more for lorries etc.
Shirley it makes sense, it would raise cash and make that lot from over there pay to drive on our roads.
And as others have said, you couldn't have possibly paid for driving in Belgium and Germany.
In Germany we collect toll for trucks because it is profitable since we are in the middle of Europe and get lots of truck-traffic which produces significant wear and tear on our roads, but it came at a great cost, thus it isn't applied to normal cars.
Can't see such a concept work in the UK.
Ok ok, so I didnt buy a vignette in Netherlands, Belgium or Germany but I certainly did in a lot of others! I'm just trying to think of ways to raise revenue and I was pissed off with buying vignettes in Hungary, Slovakia & Czech Republic last week when they've got s
t roads! 
t roads! Edited by Lordbenny on Tuesday 15th November 19:48
Try www.dailymail.co.uk...
M.
poo at Paul's said:
Have you seen how expensive road tax is in NL? €1000's a year for a weasel family hack
Explains why they all drive bikes like lunatics then! M.
Its not just road tax.
Airline taxes in the UK are a disgrace, ripping off British citizens and UK flights.
A flight to Thailand for example costs over £300 per seat in tax. From Holland its £60 tax per seat, yet KLM charge similar/ more than the cheapest seats therefore are making at least £240 per seat extra profit.
How is this a fair level playing field in Europe?
Airline taxes in the UK are a disgrace, ripping off British citizens and UK flights.
A flight to Thailand for example costs over £300 per seat in tax. From Holland its £60 tax per seat, yet KLM charge similar/ more than the cheapest seats therefore are making at least £240 per seat extra profit.
How is this a fair level playing field in Europe?
Lordbenny said:
So, if you drive to pretty much any other European country,,,,In the past 8 months Ive driven in France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Netherlands a a few others and if I havn't had to pay tolls I've had to buy a weekly vignette (Motorway tax sticker).
If this is in a commercial vehicle........ all the countries you mention consider themselves transit countries where a large quantity of the freight traffic is not for the sale to or benefit of that countries population. The UK (& Eire) are considered destination countries, where the freight is being delivered into that country.
Charging the haulier a vignette will only end up in the retail price increasing accordingly to cover this additional cost of transport, which ultimately is self-defeating.
OllieC said:
get rid of road tax, bump fuel tax up to an appropriate level to maintain revenue, get rid of loads of DVLA staff in the process
That means doing two things that will not help any government get elected: increase the cost of fuel and lose public sector jobs.Of course the loss of the jobs means some of that revenue is no longer needed, so let's leave the fuel duty alone and just drop VED eh? Makes sense...
All well and good to rant at foreigners not paying anything to use our roads, so long as someting can also be done about the natives who elect to drive whilst unlicenced, have no VED, MoT or insurance etc.
Let's get our house in order first shall we?
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