RAC chief engineer David Bizley said: “The Chancellor has fired a
warning shot to diesel drivers, with the suggestion in the Budget
document that a new tax regime covering diesel drivers could be
introduced before the end of the year.
This uncertainty is bound to be of concern to private and
business motorists alike, who will be wanting urgent clarity on
just what the Government plan to do. The RAC will take a leading
in representing motorists when the consultation goes live.
“We welcome more funds to tackle urban congestion – not least
because congestion goes hand-in-hand with poor air quality, so
tackling one can help the other. However, we’ll need to look
carefully at how councils will be expected to bid for money. What
we certainly don’t want to see is a situation where local
authorities have to take part in an expensive, protracted process
simply to have the funds they need to sort out well known
bottlenecks on our town and city centre roads.
“We’re disappointed however that more funding wasn’t announced on
preventative road maintenance – this is a missed opportunity
given the dire state of many local roads. The RAC Pothole Index
showed that the number of pothole-related breakdowns has doubled
in the last ten years, and remain a constant source of
frustration for motorists.”
