I'm really glad you've written this article Paul.
It's really a 'no brainer' - if ever there is a case of 'user should pay' proportionally it is vehicle taxes on fuel. Fuel use is proportional or roughly proportional' to the costs of:
- Kms driven i.e. use of road infrastructure
- Road use is proportional to likelihood of having an accident
so ACCIDENT INSURANCE should also be levied on fuel
- Pollution
- Carbon emissions
- Vehicle size - footprint - parking space
- AggresSivity - likelihood of cuasing death or serious diability in a collision.

Out fuel taxes are the 4th lowest of 29 OECD nations - only USA, Canada and Mexico are cheaper. http://www.aip.com.au/pricing/internationalprices.htm

I am staying in the US and believe you me, $1/ L fuel gives nothing but negatives - traffic jams and more polluting 3 tonne SUV's on the road, which are a menace to smaller vehicles and cyclists. Cheap fuel only makes some people want to have huge vehicles and use them as shopping trolleys.

NZ has > $2/ Litre fuel and the poor still drive there (I've also lived in NZ for over a year). Difference is you tend to see more 'people mover' vans and small cars and more people riding in each vehicle.

It makes much more sense to raise more tax on fuel than to increase income tax. Fuel tax needs to be raised from about 48c currently to about $1 per litre (NZ's level of fuel taxation).

While I agree, I am considering getting an electric motorbike next year, a Zero DS, so I hope this is introduced

Yeah go for it, I'll trade in the jalopy on an eclectic scooter/shopping trolley!

Seriously, we need to crack down on unregistered vehicles, given many wouldn't pass a roadworthy and hence the principle reason they are run unregistered?

Queensland are introducing a new sticker free system, which will no doubt expose many unregistered drivers, who in all likelihood, will immediately forfeit their death trap rust buckets.

That said, it's nice for city folk, with a veritable smorgasbord of public transport options, to argue for increased fuel tax.
But what about those of us here in the bush, who already pay well over the odds for petrol and have no viable public transport option.

The problem with extremely narrow circular thinking; it invariably comes up with a one size fits all approach, which in many cases is highly inappropriate; or worse, further and unfairly attacks the poor/borderline bankrupts!

Here's a nice Chrissy present, a bigger fuel bill!

Ah well, there'll be no presents under the tree this years kids, some well off fat cat senior bureaucrat has decided to appropriate them, via the petrol bowser!

What a splendid idea!
Rhrosty.

On the surface that sounds a simple solution but I don't think it is fair and equitable at all. Mainly because the cost input of fuel going up will add to price of all goods already inflated due to the RET on energy particularly electricity.

Solution I think fair, is that police vehicles all be equipped with on board computers that can tag an uninsured unpaid rego vehicle as they do in most US state.

In the UK working I had to have insurance before being allowed to register any vehicle - which is not the case in OZ and should be.

I dont agree with the insurance within the rego at all. Too open to being rorted and an imposition not necessary in other countries AFAIK. Minimum third party insurance should cover this accident insurance. I like the idea of less premium for less usage.

Currently live in Tassie and the number of bald tyres I see in car parks is disturbing as no yearly check on safety as in NSW whose cars when I was in cars in WA were premium as trade-ins as always superior and roadworthy even the old bangers. So nationwide but inexpensive yearly road worthy examination either by licensed garages or public servants who do the current over the pits now is late paying etc. But it would save lives with braking as well as lights at night Tassie with no lights on highways bad lighting in eyes in a problem. Rural mainly unlike most states. And often single carriageways.

Whilst at it also dont you agree that medical conditions which preclude driving should be notified by the Doctor? Privacy would kick in another subject but one which causes more problems than fixes.

And is it well past time we had one registry for vehicles for the nation not just state. So vehicle born and keeps same plate until it goes to car heaven and plate is destroyed. Save a lot of bad happenings and back on the road after written off etc

That would open up some interesting options. I'd like to have a smaller vehicle for many of my trips which are mostly single person, little or no cargo but that smaller vehicle would not cater for the times I nedd to carry a bigger load, tow a trailer etc. Paying primarily on the basis of fuel might make that more viable (not sure how it could or would work for general insurance though). A lot of factors involved in the cost of general insurance.

I wonder how many of those far larger vehicles heading into park for the day might stay at home as well if the standing cost of ownership for an exta vehicle was a lot lower.

R0bert

Excellent point, R0bert.

In the past I advocated for dual-registrations, where for a small extra fee over the cost of a regular registration, one can register two cars provided that only one of them is on the road at any given time.

(note that when one car is being serviced/fixed, the garage has its own registration arrangements, so the other car can also be on the road while the garage-people take the first for a test-drive)

But besides that, revenue should be collected at the pump instead and insurance should be possible through any insurance company. Then, insurance companies could for example elect to insure a car for that many kilometres rather than per annum.

I do recall this sad case where a lady left her car registered in the name of her elderly mother who was no longer driving. She used to renew the registration every year, but then her mother suddenly died and registration-time occurred a few days later - and the rego-office refused to receive payment in the name of the deceased. Inheritance procedures take several months, during which the lady could not drive her car. Would you not continue to drive anyway in such a case?