Slow down – new transport strategy requires thoughtful, sustainable solution
ARE Treasury giving a lifeline to the Environment board in supporting the idea to bring back motor tax, or showing their lack of confidence in their ability to bring back anything that can fund the transport strategy?
Confused yet? Is this plan B, C or D, is there really a plan, or will it be stripped apart on the floor of the house again, rebuilt and then sent away for more tinkering? This current offering surely demonstrates that Environment still want to socially engineer the motoring public out of their cars into other forms of transport.
The Guernsey Motor Trades Association has always supported an integrated transport strategy that is well funded and fair to all.
At present this is not and it should be delayed and not rushed through.
This can only be achieved by getting all road user groups around the table to make sure the funding mechanism is sustainable, as consultation is what has been lacking throughout this process.
The GMTA committee's view is there should be an annual road tax across all motor vehicles on a sliding scale according to emissions, removing it from fuel at the same time.
We agree with Treasury that for the short term while this is reviewed a fuel increase could help fund the strategy, but must remove it if an annual emission tax was agreed.
The funding of the strategy must be for a generation, not a short-term fix, and fair to all. It's not about passing something but about having a sustainable long-term financial mechanism and we would look to the UK model as a starting point.
DAVE BEAUSIRE,
President,
Guernsey Motor Trades Association.
