Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: How will RUCs change our driving behaviours?

So the Government just announced what they’re calling the biggest change to road funding in 50 years. Once these changes kick in, petrol taxes are out and RUCs - road user charges - are in, for everyone.

Not just truckies, not just EV drivers, not just diesel users, every single one of us.

This is not really a surprise, the Government flagged this two years ago. But now the work is starting and Cabinet has agreed to start changing the law on it.
 
And generally, I think this is a good idea. It’s going to make it more transparent, as most of us have no idea how much we’re paying to use the road because it’s hidden in the petrol cost.

But once it’s stripped out, it’s going to smack us in the face every month - or however often - we pay that bill. And it’s actually a lot, tax makes up almost half the cost of petrol.
 
It’s also going to, if designed properly, change our behaviour for the better.
 
Heavier cars should end up being charged more - as they should - because they do more damage to the roads. For example, electric vehicles, which are enormously heavy, will be pot-holing the road more than a lighter Suzuki Swift.

That should, if we respond rationally to pricing, move us towards lighter vehicles and away from the trend of 'bigger is better' - which is better for road maintenance. 
 
But everything hangs off on enforcement. Because this is ripe for gaming. 

The same people who don't get a WOF and don't get a rego now won't get their RUCs. So if you’re going from a simple system where it gets taken at the pump to a more complex 'count the Ks and file the paperworks system',  how will you be sure everyone does it?
 
In an announcement light on detail - that’s the question I have. But in theory, it's a good idea.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So the government's just announced what they're calling the biggest
change to road funding in fifty years. Once these changes
cack in, and we don't know when that is just yend,
but once they kick in, petrol taxes are out and
rucks road user charges are in. And this is for everyone, right,
It's not just the truckies and the EV drivers and
the diesel uses. Every single one of us is going
to have to pay the rucks. Not really a surprise
that this is happening, because the government flagged this a

(00:22):
couple of years ago at least, but the work is
now starting. Cabinet has now agreed to start changing the
law on it. Generally, I think this is a good idea.
I mean, I think this is going to make the
whole system a lot more transparent because most of us
have no idea when we fill up at the petrol
station how much we're paying to use the road. It's
hidden in the petrol cost, isn't it. But once it's
stripped out, it's going to smack us in the face

(00:43):
every month or however often we pay that bill and
we can make a decision based on that. It's actually
quite a lot of money that you're paying to use
the road tax makes up almost half the cost of petrol.
So once you get that bill, you can decide if
you want to drive a little bit less, drive a
little bit more, whatever you want to do, it's going
to also if does i'n probably change our behavior for
the better when it comes to choosing our cars, because

(01:04):
heavier cars should end up being charged more, as they
should because they do a lot more damage to the roads.
For example, electric vehicles are enormously heavy and will be
pot hooling the road a lot more than your lighter
Suzuki Swift. That should if we respond rationally to pricing,
make us move towards lighter vehicles and away from this
trend of bigger is better all the time, which is,

(01:24):
as I say, better for road maintenance. But and here's
the butt everything here I think hangs off on the
enforcement because this is ripe for gaming. The very same
people who do not get a WAFF, who do not
get a red Joe now will not get their rucks.
Am I imagining it? Or was it not also the
case that the EV drivers, when they were made to
get rucks, a whole bunch of them didn't even bother
getting rucks for a whole lot there. So if you've

(01:45):
got wealthy EV drivers who are happy to go around
pretending to have a ruck when they own actually or
what about the rest of us. If you're going from
a really simple system where you just basically get it
taken out of what you're paying at the pump, to
a more complex counter case and file the paperwork system,
how are you going to be sure that absolutely everybody
is doing what they're supposed to do so in an
announcement light on detail, very light on detail, that is

(02:09):
the question I have, but in theory, very good idea.
For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to
news talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.