Now MPs join road toll revolt

13 April 2012

Tony Blair is facing fresh pressure to scrap Labour's controversial 'spy-in-the-sky' road tax after MPs backed the growing public revolt over the scheme.

In an unprecedented show of 'people power', over one million people have now protested to the plans by in a petition on the Downing Street website.

And MPs are now set to join the revolt by putting down a Commons motion calling for the idea - which uses satellite technology to charge motorists for every mile they travel - to be dumped.

The protest means that 1 in 30 of the UK's 30 million drivers have taken the trouble to register their protest on the web - an unprecedented feat in British political history.

The petition, which will be taken down from the No 10 website on February 20, is set to soar even higher as angry drivers log their objections to the plans in coming days.

Under the scheme, drivers will be charged up to £1.50 a mile to travel at peak times, with monthly bills sent to their homes through the post.

Human rights campaigners have voiced concerns that motorists will have their every move tracked by 'Big Brother'-style satellite systems.

Former Transport Minister John Spellar last night branded the scheme a 'tax on going to work'.

Mr Spellar, who has previously been a New Labour loyalist, told the Daily Mail: "It is hugely expensive to introduce - not just for the motorist, but the country.

"The idea that it is not going to be used as an additional tax is absurd. We are already paying a road user tax every time we sit in traffic in the form of fuel duty. This is a tax on going to work."

Mr Spellar went on to point out that the Government's new 'spy in the sky' tax will be difficult to collect and it could take decades before the investment in the new technology is paid for.

Tory MP Mike Penning is also planning to put down and Early Day Motion in the Commons as early as next week.

But ministers yesterday vowed to press ahead with the scheme and dismissed concerns about the scheme as 'crazy'.

Transport minister Stephen Ladyman also denied claims that the electronic boxes which would be placed in cars would allow the Government to 'spy' on motorists.

He said: "Once this petition has closed, what we are going to do is explain the real policies to the people.

"The viral emails sent round in support of this petition have got crazier and crazier. The information they have been sent is a mile away from what we are actually trying to do."

Last week, the Daily Mail revealed that councils have been told to charge drivers according to how much their cars pollute.

It would mean drivers of large 4X4s - dubbed 'Chelsea tractors' - and big family people-carriers and sports utility vehicles - paying far more.

The petition against pay-as-you-drive charges was sparked by account manager Peter Roberts, 46, from Telford, Shropshire, but also has the backing of the Association of British Drivers .

The Department for Transport defended the Government's strategy, insisting that unless that congestion could increase by a quarter in less than a decade if left unchecked.

A spokesman said: "We are working with local authorities to investigate the potential of local schemes in tackling congestion.

"Until we see how road pricing works in practice it would be premature to decide whether we should take forward a national scheme and what that scheme might look like.

"People do feel strongly about this issue. But feeling strongly is not a substitute for coming up with practical proposals to tackle congestion, given that car ownership continues to rise."

Meanwhile, taxpayers are also set to rise up over Government plans for a tax on household rubbish.

The TaxPayers' Alliance will post a petition against the so-called 'Bin Tax' on the Downing Street website within the next few days.

It reads: "We petition the Prime Minister to prohibit the introduction of any charge, over and above that included in the council tax on the collection and disposal of domestic rubbish."

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