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Motorists suffer green tax misery
MOTORISTS are set for further misery with millions set to suffer road tax rises of up to £245.
The admission by the Treasury piles more agony on for drivers who are already having to bear the cost of rocketing fuel prices.
Government officials yesterday admitted the changes meant 43 per cent, around 9.4m drivers, will see increases by April 2010.
To see the new car tax bands click here
Experts claim the hikes will mean that the Government will receive more than 1bn more in vehicle excise duty (VED) revenue by 2011.
The rises also include retrospective charges for older vehicles which are said to be pollutants.
Around 18 per cent of drivers will, however, see price decreases.
AA president Edmund King slammed the rises saying the charges which he said would hit poorer families worst.
He said: "The Treasury has made a mistake and must now scrap the 'retrospective' nature of the tax disc changes for older vehicles.
"This is not a green tax but a mean tax that will hit millions of hard-up families.
"Coupled with the record pump prices, this will bring double misery to millions of motorists."
The road tax rises have been in the pipeline for some time, but the full extent of their impact has just been revealed.
Matthew Elliott, chief executive at the TaxPayers' Alliance, added: "This is a cynical tax grab that will hit millions of families hard."
Blackpool Hackney carriage driver Steve Buckley also said the rises were confusing.
"They (the Government) seem to be making it up as they go along," he complained.
"It's a hard time for motorists and this sounds like it's just going to make things worse.
"Taxis used to get discounts on their road tax but now I'm paying the same as on my car – a Renault Scenic."
Friends of the Earth, however, praised the rises and said that the Government should stand firm. Simon Bullock from the green charity said: "Upping VED on old, very polluting cars will encourage people to choose greener vehicles, cut fuel bills and lower carbon dioxide emissions.
"Ministers must stand firm on their VED plans and do more to encourage greener travel.''
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Weather for Blackpool
Monday 13 February 2012
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