RUC for all

[Driftit 2241]

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/569149/road-user-charges-for-all-vehicles-move-a-step-closer

 

This has been in the works and ready to go for the last 10+ years.
I'm interested in the governments implementation for the system.  It should be purely done by vetted private entities IMO.  E.g. ERoad.  Been collecting the vast majority of NZ's heavy vehicle RUC for over 10 years.

I do however want it to be based purely on weight.  I don't want to pay the same RUC as a 2.8ton BYD in my 1.2ton 200sx.

 

Picture of the digital RUC label we created when I worked for ERoad in 2015.  Even had the police test it with their scanners at the time.  They were super excited about it.

Edited Thursday at 09:42 PM by Driftit

[slideways 47]

I think this will be great. I still use my fair share of petrol but for the past 3 years, none of it has been through anything on the road.

As long as we have the option to still buy RUCs and display like we currently do. No way I want to have some obtrusive GPS system hacked into my cars wring, especially my mint original Mtech1 E30. I hear there are non powered options out there though?

A lot of people are negative thinking that they will just add tax back into the fuel later but that isn't done with diesel currently and its still much cheaper than petrol so...

[Driftit 2241]

5 minutes ago, slideways said:

I think this will be great. I still use my fair share of petrol but for the past 3 years, none of it has been through anything on the road.

Yeah anyone with a recreational boat will be excited.

This sort of system will introduce a good number of tax dodgers.  Just like the current RUC system with the people who put an inline switch on there electronic ODO's or disconnect the mechanical ones.

ERoad uses GPS and calibrates against your ODO.
This is where you want a private company holding your data.
Currently if the Police want Eroad data they have to get a court order.  You own that data.
 

[Jacko 2343]

If they do it right, will be a good idea, Im not optimistic they can do right however....

eroads etc is slippery path, pay it with rego and add a "i am going to do this many k's" similar to how tax is paid.. rego costs will go up but maybe make it payable monthly like insurance etc  - just another bill. Every annual WOF odo gets checked... check it against the system, if you do more or less get a bill or a refund to balance the books. Easy and no nannys watching just an API and some software.

Weighting it (good pun) it on GVM is the way, need for force people to drive more appropriate vehicles and not penis extension land yachts (Sorry not sorry X7 owners)... lower emissions, funds to fix roads, more pressure to move freight onto trains and not f**ken trucks and push the market to smaller more efficient cars no matter what powers them.

 

Edited Thursday at 10:39 PM by Jacko

[Vass 1073]

Quote

For decades, petrol tax has acted as a rough proxy for road use, but the relationship between petrol consumption and road usage is fast breaking down

Makes sense. Has been a bit silly paying for road use when buying petrol for a boat or a lawnmower. A change was absolutely overdue.

Quote

So, instead of expanding a clunky government system, we will reform the rules to allow the market to deliver innovative, user-friendly services for drivers.

Don't see anything clunky with the current administrative system though, everything is clear and simple, can buy RUC's and get labels either online or at every post office, just as with Rego. Sure, things can be improved and made more user friendly but instead we get the typical cookie cutter approach of "privatize everything" for the sake of it, rip it up and feed another piece of public good to the vultures. No idea how introducing a third party wanting to squeeze a profit margin into the mix would make it cheaper for the end consumer.

[Driftit 2241]

Here is a scary thing about data sharing.

It is not that the Government will be using your data.  It will be Insurance companies.
Insurance will one day demand you share this data with them.

I was already being offered discounts on insurance in the US if I shared my driving data with them.
Driving data will be available from everyone.  Insurance will take advantage of this.
No data.  No insurance.

For the heavy industry this is usually shared voluntarily.  Better drivers get cheaper insurance.

[deedub 142]

1 hour ago, Driftit said:

This is where you want a private company holding your data.

Depends on who that company is and their privacy policy. There are ways in which data could be handled correctly - putting control in the hands of the owners of that data (the driver). But I bet that won't happen.

[deedub 142]

This would be a scenario where I would want the data stored by an offshore company in say Switzerland. The GPS company or whoever just creates the means to collect. This thing can fire the data over to where privacy and data protection laws are strong. Keeping that data in NZ just opens it up to the usual shenanigans that governments like ours can get around.

Split collection and storage up. Better yet, allow drivers to choose where their data is stored. At least provide the option.

But as I mentioned. This won't be a concern of the government andthird party companies.