How much more will the motorist take?

COMMENT: The Irish motorist is a rather docile creature. The two million licence holders carry a tax burden of 20 per cent of the entire tax income simply because they opted through choice or necessity for a private mode of transport. It's amazing how little fuss they make when the Government increases this burden.

The usual industry and lobby spokespersons express outrage on the airwaves for a few hours, and then silence.

Polite society, particularly in Dublin, seems to have created a stereotype of the Irish motorist as a road-raging speed freak who has little concern for either fellow citizens or the threat of global warming. They alone bear personal responsibility for melting the polar ice caps.

As a result, the motorist has become easy prey for a Government in need of income. Instead of direct taxes in relation to income, politicians judge car ownership as a rough and ready guide to income, and tax accordingly. Little consideration is given to the fact that, for many outside the immediate environs of the city, cars are not a luxury but a necessity.

Yet it doesn't stop there. Insurance firms continue to impose exorbitant premiums, petrol companies maximise profits by setting prices on a regional basis.

Finally, while car firms bemoan the punitive VRT rates, would it be in their interests to have the ubiquitous tax abolished entirely? Unlikely, as it would open the door for motorists to shop abroad. Caught in the middle of these self-interested parties is the motorist.

The latest budget saw yet more increases in the tax burden on motorists, already amounting to some €4.4 billion. It was quickly followed by a 12 per cent increase in motor tax, which we were reassured would go towards improving our non-national roads, which incidentally make up 83 per cent of our road network. No mention was made of the fact that, while motor tax is "ring-fenced" to go towards local authorities, it can be as easily spent on drain clearance as road maintenance.

The Minister for Transport has outlined his desire for people to use a mixture of cars and public transport. This is an acceptance that public transport cannot cater for the needs of large portions of society who live in rural areas or simply cannot rely on an inefficient system, particularly suburban rail.

How much will the motorist accept before the burden becomes a political issue in its own right?