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GPS-Based System For Driving Tax Being Field Tested

Posted by Soulskill on from the you-can-trust-us dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Apparently, since gas consumption is going down and fuel efficient cars are becoming more popular, the government is looking into a new form of taxation to create revenue for transportation projects. This new system is a 'by-the-mile tax,' requiring GPS in cars so it can track the mileage. Once a month, the data gets uploaded to a billing center and you are conveniently charged for how much you drove. 'A federal commission, after a two-year study, concluded earlier this year that the road tax was the "best path forward" to keep revenues flowing to highway and transportation projects, and could be an important new tool to help manage traffic and relieve congestion. ... The commission pegged 2020 as the year for the federal fuel tax, currently 18.5 cents a gallon, to be phased out and replaced by a road tax. One estimate of a road tax that would cover the current federal and state fuel taxes is 1 to 2 cents per mile for cars and light trucks.'"

4 of 891 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Do we really need GPS to track mileage ? by wjousts · · Score: 5, Insightful

    There's another really nice tool that has the advantage that EVERY car already has one:

    Odometer

  2. Great by houghi · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is great, especially as there is no way to abuse this.

    --
    Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
  3. It will be both taxes by kperrier · · Score: 5, Insightful

    There is no way in hell that the government will remove any gas taxes, they will just add the per mile tax.

  4. Re:That's not a good replacement by 2obvious4u · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Wow, you missed the point entirely.

    The reason for the tax is because I can now buy production electric cars which don't use any gas. So you could put whatever amount of tax on gas you wanted and the government wouldn't get a cent.

    This then leads to:
    SUV owner pays a lot of tax.
    Trucking Industry collapses.
    Daily commuter pays near the same tax due to fuel economy.
    Hybrid owner pays low tax.
    EV owner pays no tax.

    All use the same roads, but are now taxed at different rates.

    My solution: Tax tires. It has a direct correlation to road usage and all vehicles use tires. If you drive hard you do more damage to the road and your tires, meaning you'll need to replace both sooner. If you drive like a granny your tires will last longer and so will the roads.

    I'll remove any GPS unit they try and put in my car. I may soon be spending a great deal of time in jail.