With the need to get transport to Net Zero by 2050 at latest the Transport Committee launched this call for evidence to see how the transition to electric vehicles could be accelerated. The call for evidence was also asking about road pricing, as the transition to electric vehicles comes with the financial challenge of plugging the gap that will leave from motoring taxes. 

The government currently earns around £40bn in motoring taxes per year, roughly 5% of total government revenue, but these are going to drastically decline if the transition to electric vehicles goes as planned, or is accelerated. There are still some hurdles to increase uptake of electric vehicles, such as the provision of charge points, cost, range anxiety, that all need to be addressed. 

CIHT has for a long time called for the Government to look in to how a fair road pricing system could be implemented in the UK. Both because of the need to address dwindling motoring taxes but also to introduce a pricing system that more accurately captures the external costs of driving from congestion, pollution, carbon and more. CIHT believes the income from a road pricing system must be used to improve road infrastructure, traffic and significantly boost alternative means of transport. 

CIHT will publish its full response when given permission to do so by the Transport Committee.