Politicians from all parties have hit the campaign trail ahead of the general election in May, making promises on the NHS, the economy and the family.
But what about the motorist?
Sadly, no politician seems keen to woo the motorist vote, even though the average car owner pays more than their fair share of taxes.
In fact, of the £582.6 billion raised in UK taxes last financial year, almost 10% came from motorists.
Duty calls
UK voters with cars and other vehicles pay £26.9 billion in fuel duty alone, according to the AA.
That’s more than UK companies pay in business rates (£26.8 billion) and almost the same amount as the government collects in council tax (£27.5 billion).
Motorists stump up a further £6.1 billion in vehicle excise duties, and £25 billion from VAT on fuel and car sales, company car tax and insurance premium tax.
Let’s not forget the countless hidden ‘taxes’, such as penalties for minor traffic and parking infringements. They must add up to quite a pretty penny.
Exchequer mate
You’d think the generous contribution to the chancellor’s coffers would win motorists some support in Westminster.
But no. Today’s drivers have to put up with potholes, puddles and parking permits. They often have to drive in the dark, too, with many roads now blacked out after midnight.
In a recent AA survey, the state of the roads in general – and potholes in particular – came out as the number one concern for drivers.
It’s no wonder. Experts reckon potholes cause up to one in 10 mechanical failures, costing motorists an estimated £730 million a year.
Potholes and poorly maintained roads are also a threat to road safety, particularly if you ride on 2 wheels rather than 4.
Cost analysis
The cost of motoring is also high on the list of worries.
Petrol prices might have come down in recent months, but many motorists are suspicious of the big oil companies and would like to see greater transparency over prices at the pump.
The abolition of tolls in England and Wales would also be a vote winner.
Edmund King, president of the AA, says: “We will continue to oppose tolls and believe tolls should be dropped from key river crossings, as they are in Scotland.”
Driving bad
Then there’s bad driving. Motorists are increasingly aggravated by poor driving standards.
They would therefore like to see more cops in cars to target dangerous behaviour such as tailgating and use of mobiles at the wheel.
There is also a call for better road safety education within the national curriculum from an early age.
But do Britain’s 35 million motorists have any political influence? Well, votes from Mondeo man helped to propel Tony Blair to power in 1997.
More recently, the AA successfully campaigned to outlaw rogue wheel clamping on private land.
King’s speech
But the AA is realistic. King says: “The AA is apolitical and we understand that elections are not won or lost on motoring issues alone. Health, education and the economy tend to sway the results.
“However, transport and motoring are key to economic growth in the UK and shouldn’t be side-lined.”
The AA is calling on political parties to commit to 5 Cs:
- Condition: remove potholes, ring-fence funding, improve parking
- Congestion: remove bottlenecks, improve bypasses and capacity
- Casualties: remove dangerous junctions, improve education
- Co-operation: remove conflict, improve driver behavior
- Cost: remove unfair tolls, improve fuel price transparency.
Drivers can show their support on twitter with #Vote4BetterRoads.
They can also question prospective parliamentary candidates on their plans to help drivers, assuming they manage to avoid the potholes on the campaign trail.
Image: Voting by redjar is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Will motoring matters affect how you vote?
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder