Pay-as-you-drive plan panned

Drivers are highly critical of the UK government's plans to bring in pay-as-you-drive road charges.

The vast majority of readers polled by silicon.com were critical of the scheme with only 17 per cent of respondents saying it sounds like a fairer alternative to the current system of road tax and a tax on petrol.

Almost a third (31 per cent) of the 650 respondents said they believe the new system would see everybody paying more to drive in the UK, suggesting it's a further example of stealth taxing.

silicon.com reader Tim Haines wrote: "There's already a perfectly good road pricing system in place which also takes into account the fuel consumption and emissions of the vehicle using the road, involves no new expensive technology, cannot be avoided and requires no enforcement - it's called fuel tax."

Steve Watkins added: "What is fuel tax except a 'pay-as-you-drive' tax? The more you drive the more you pay."

A similar number of respondents (29 per cent) expressed doubts that the system will be workable and is likely to be open to abuse.

Sean Swales suggested the in-car black-box proposed by some could be subject to a work-around. "Sounds like a marvellous opportunity for someone to make money with a black box jammer," he wrote.

Almost a quarter of respondents (23 per cent) said the system will be unfair on those people who have less choice about their journeys and the time of day they travel, after it was announced the system would include increased charges around peak travel times.

This would affect those workers who feel they have to drive to work, due to location or poor public transport, at peak times. The controversial 'school run' will also likely be hit.

Other readers expressed concerns about a Big Brother conspiracy.

"The government's agenda is to track the movements of you and me. They are just using global warming and congestion to get trackers in our cars," wrote one.

Another wrote: "Add this to the ID cards and you have a government hell bent on chipping and tracking your every move."