The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) is pressuring the federal government to replace Australia’s convoluted vehicle registration, stamp duty, licence fees and fuel excise system with a single road-user charge that taxes drivers for every kilometre they drive:
“An efficient road-user charging scheme can address all vehicle users regardless of the type of vehicle they drive, how often it is driven and the purpose of the travel,” [FCAI chief Tony Weber] said. “For example, it could be based on vehicle mass, distance travelled, time of travel or a combination of factors.”
The chamber’s discussion paper, to be released on Wednesday, lists several potential scenarios including the capacity to build in congestion and peak-hour charges on motorists to help clear grid-locked freeways in Melbourne and Sydney…
