Drivers could be hit with ‘pay as you drive’ toll charges under new government plans, according to reports.
The Treasury is reportedly considering a plan to charge drivers for using the roads.
Rishi Sunak was previously said he is keen on the idea, and the Daily Mail reports that the scheme is back on the agenda - although neither the Department for Transport or the Treasure has officially commented on the proposals.
The toll could fill the tax shortfall caused by a drop in revenue from fuel duty.
Electric car owners are currently exempt from paying road tax, and Boris Johnson last year announced a ban on new petrol and diesel cars from 2030.
In August, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change published a report calling for road pricing to be introduced.
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It said: “A new system of vehicle taxation is urgently needed. As more people purchase electric vehicles, changes to taxation will be harder to manage.
“Road pricing offers the opportunity to resolve these issues in a way that works for motorists and society.”
Currently, road pricing is seen on the M6 toll where cars face a £7 charge and HGVs are charged £ 12.60 during the week.
London’s congestion charges are another example, with other cities looking to follow in the capital’s footsteps.
AA president Edmund King previously suggested that motorists could drive for a certain number of miles before being charged, according to The Guardian.
He said last year that a road pricing system could allow drivers to have 3,000 free miles - with an extra 1,000 in rural areas - before paying per journey.
The RAC said last year that an eventually road pricing system "would probably use vehicle tracking technology to monitor how much we drive".
A spokesman for the Department for Transport said: "We simply do not comment on speculation – especially guesses around spending which is not in our remit"
