Slashgeo

GPS-Based System For Driving Tax Being Field Tested in the U.S.

posted by Satri on Wednesday July 01, @12:13PM        Permalink  Trackback URI  Slashdotthis  Diggthis  Del.icio.us
from the your-location,-my-taxes dept.

Slashdot discusses a story named GPS-Based System For Driving Tax Being Field Tested. Their summary: "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.'"

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• Is it april fools day?

  (Score:2)

  by lxnyce (1043) on Wednesday July 01, @12:01PM (#3224)
  ( http://www.vizure.com/ )

  Surely you have got to be kidding me.

  [ Reply to This ]
• This MUST be a joke

  (Score:2, Insightful)

  by hipifreq (1291) on Wednesday July 01, @01:14PM (#3225)
  ( http://www.coastalgeo.com/ )

  Firstly, trying to implement that would be a nightmare! Requiring GPS in ALL cars? If we can get past the "government shouldn't track my travels" crowd, then you'll never get past the "can't make me retrofit my old car" crowd. There doesn't seem to be ANY way to do both. Secondly, what makes this easier to implement than tolls? Collecting money for use of federal road to pay for federal road projects seems to make the most sense. How do I opt OUT of the "road use" tax when I'm driving off-road on my own property? Third, how soon after this thing goes live do you think jamming hardware will become available? Don't want to pay for that big roadtrip? Just switch on the jammer and don't let them track you!

  [ Reply to This ]
• A new solution?

  (Score:3, Insightful)

  by lxnyce (1043) on Wednesday July 01, @09:31PM (#3226)
  ( http://www.vizure.com/ )

  Wouldn't the better option here be to put a surcharge (tax) on the gas. So instead of having to track how much a person drove, allyou do is charge by the amount of gas they bought. It's rewards those with better fuel efficiency and they still get their money per mileage. The article probably talks about this but I confess...I didn't read it.

  [ Reply to This ]
• Subsidizing SUVs

  (Score:3, Informative)

  by Hamish (352) on Thursday July 02, @12:33AM (#3228)

  Here in New Zealand a similar scheme is in place for diesel fuel, but based on your odometer reading. It's in place due to the high number of farm vehicles which don't use the road, but the unpleasant side effect is that highly efficient turbo diesel road cars end up subsidizing the trucking industry who impart more damage to the roads. This both discourages folks from buying less thirsty TDI cars and discourages the use of rail transport.

  A combination of hub mounted odometers in trucks and quarterly reporting of dashboard odometer readings should make this gee-wiz GPS technology redundant overkill.

  [ Reply to This ]
  • Re:Subsidizing SUVs

    (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Voxel on Wednesday September 16, @08:43PM (#3291)

    I am in agreement with the first comment. If I could be FORCED to retrofit my vehicles with GPS technolology, I would figure out a way around it. I would fight this proposal tooth and nail even though it appears that it would save me money. It seems that I would be rewarded for driving fewer miles in my NON-fuel efficient vehicles, and I would have no fuel tax liability for my mowers, and off road vehicles. I opt out, no GPS for me. Thank you!

    [ Reply to This | Parent ]