MPs are set to investigate whether drivers should be charged on a pay-as-you-go basis.
The Commons’ Transport Committee said it wants to begin a national debate about if road pricing should be a part of the future of transport.
Road pricing is a term covering many measures such as tolls, congestion charges, workplace parking levies and HGV levies, as well as low-emission and clean air zones.
Such a scheme has not been government policy since the then-Labour administration abandoned proposals in 2006 following an online petition signed by 1.8 million signatures.
However, experts are urging ministers to re-consider them as motoring taxes – these are set to decline due increasing popularity in EVs. Motoring taxes are currently worth £40 billion to the Treasury every year.
Lilian Greenwood, chair of the Transport Committee, said: “It’s been almost 10 years since the last real discussion of national toad pricing. In that time, we have become much more aware of the dangers of air pollution and congestion.
“We cannot ignore the looming fiscal black hole. We need to ask how we will pay for roads in the future and in answering that question we have an opportunity for a much wider debate about our use of road space, cutting carbon emissions, tackling congestion, modal shift and how we prioritise active travel.”
The MPs are inviting views from motorists and non-motorists before launching a formal enquiry next year.
