PLANS BY the Government to redouble its efforts to crack down on the huge number of untaxed vehicles being used on Britain’s roads have been criticised by a Carnoustie man who says the initiative is virtually a waste of time.

Ian Foggie, who wrote to the Chancellor about the issue last year but has yet to receive a reply, said that the “obvious solution” to the problem was to scrap the concept of the annual tax disc altogether and replace it with an additional tax on fuel at the pump.

The number of untaxed cars, vans and motorcycles on British roads was recently reported to have risen from 1.55 million in 2005 to 2.19 million—one out of every 15 vehicles—and evasion is reckoned to cost the country a massive £217 million in lost revenue.

Mr Foggie said he could understand the frustration and anger felt by law-abiding motorists but added, “When I hear the recurring bleat from the Government about their plans to beat the road tax dodgers it just makes me shake my head.

“I wrote to the Chancellor last year suggesting what I think is the obvious solution, and one which already works well elsewhere in places like Jersey.

“There they operate a system of no road tax at all and instead have loaded the price of motor fuels so that their island government gets all the necessary returns and there can be no question of tax dodgers.

“On Jersey if you want to drive your vehicle you have to pay the duty imposed on the fuel.

“Legitimate business users, as I understand it, would get the necessary discounts by means of their existing income tax returns so there would be no additional administration costs involved—in fact there would be a substantial saving to be made by doing away with the need to process road tax applications and enforcement of those who currently choose to ignore the rules.”