Helpdesk

Change to an emissions-based tax system creates serious flaws

From HA: I’ve read the Government is going to push up motor tax again. It is a disgrace they are going to hit the taxpayer once more. I’m paying €582 a year in motor tax on a 2005 Ford. I can’t afford to change to the newer cars, so I have to pay the extra tax while those who buy new cars save money. A friend got a new Focus this year and pays €104 in motor tax. Good luck to him, but how come someone who can afford a new car benefits from the tax system while those of us barely able to pay our bills are hit the worst?

Your annoyance is shared by thousands of other motorists. The change to an emissions-based tax system has created serious flaws in the system, whereby the owners of new cars reaped the benefits of the latest engineering to lower their tax outlay while those who can only afford the older technology carry the bulk of the financial pain.

With the global motor industry focusing on engine emissions as a priority, the gap between new and even five-year-old cars is going to increase. As motor tax is paid on a system of emissions bands, that invariably means motorists who can’t afford the latest models with cleaner technology will have to pick up the bill. It seems environmental concerns combined with an eagerness to increase tax revenue for the Government are taking precedence over fairness. That said, the likely rises in next week’s budget, particularly in the lower bands, seems like an act of bad faith to those who purchased new cars on the basis that they would benefit from being more environmentally conscious through lower taxes. A car is a major investment, so changes to tax policy may suit the needs of the Government, but it is not as easy for motorists to change their motoring usage. While some have argued that a car is a privilege, not a right, for many it is a necessity.

From DS: Regarding the query last week on sticking brakes, my wife has a 1999 Citroën Saxo. It was bought second-hand a number of years ago; the discs pads in front would have been changed, at 85,000 miles, by the last owner but not the drums on the back. My wife drives five-10 miles a week. This week the left rear drum locked tight, and the handbrake was on while parked. Moving forward and back freed it. Last year when I drove it the pads sounded as if metal was rubbing on metal, whatever coating built up on the pads. Again, a few miles cleared the problem. I live on a sheltered road and cannot explain the above except by putting it down to the total underuse of the car.

From GK: I drive a 2007 Saab 9-5. For the past few years after returning from holidays in summer the car wheels were locked. It had not been used over the holidays. I unblock it each time by revving it in gear.

This seems to be a wider issue than with a particular make or model. Having checked again with mechanics, it seems in these cases you should get the car looked at by a professional.

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