They are highlighting the impact of Gordon Brown's latest stealth tax on drivers in the County and highlighting that the money will not be passed on to the County to spend on roads.
New figures uncovered in a Parliamentary question by Sir Michael Spicer, MP for West Worcestershire, show that 1,507 cars face the new £300 road tax in Worcestershire. This will rise to £400 in 2008. In addition, another 12,935 vehicles which, although licensed in band F now, would fall into the band G emission category had they been registered after 23 March 2006.
Harriett Baldwin said, "What this means is that this year, Worcestershire drivers with cars that emit over 225g of CO2 per kilometre will be paying £135,000 more in tax this year and £286,000 next year. However, as cars registered before 23rd March 2006 are replaced, the potential extra tax collected could be as high as £2,740,000 per year, unless drivers choose vehicles with lower emissions. While we all want to encourage lower carbon emissions, Gordon Brown does not seem to recognise that there is no alternative to cars in the very rural parts of the county. We need to spend money on maintaining rural roads and this extra revenue would be welcome. "
County Councillor Derek Prodger said "Our highways maintenance budger inWorcestershire is £15.8m revenue and £11.4m of capital and is increasing but at a lower rate than inflation. Yet we still need to maintain 4000 kilometres of county roads. Road tax is supposed to go towards the maintenance of our roads, which I think you can gather does not come in any substantial measures. I wish it did so."