Oldtimers are excluded from road tax. They often can't have a meter installed in them anyway. How will this work?

By Darren | November 17, 2009 9:39 AM

Taxing based on the use of a service/system, is conceptually more correct than a fixed tax like now are road taxes.
The question should hence be, is the proposed method, the correct one to implement o correct policy?

By Francesco | November 17, 2009 9:48 AM

You have to be kidding me!!

Jail.... and they want to invade my privacy by tracking on movement of my car?

How long till they decide to use that data for other purposes.

The current government is trying to pass all these issues before they are dumped.

By bobsocks | November 17, 2009 10:55 AM

I regret that the government is making our lives ever more complicated. Forms, regulations, do's and dont's, and we get fines (or go to jail, can you believe it?) when we don't do as we are told.
And does it help, a kilometertax? One of its goals is to get roads less busy during rush hours. Will the tax do that? I wonder. Train tickets are twice as expensive during rush hours. At those hours, are the trains any less crammed because of it? No, they are not.
Would it be any different with roads? I can't see anyone say to his employer: 'Sorry, I want to pay a low kilometertax, I'll come in two hours later.'

By Hans | November 17, 2009 12:42 PM

I would really suggest including the tax into the petrol price.
Apart from easy collectibility and no place for crimes (not new ones as one can imagine petrol system is not clean) it would honor usage, no aditionall processing needed (no analysis, no devices etc.)

yup, all those people involved in the project so far would pretty much have to go... well, most. I do not think it is a problem for gas stations.

By Sumone | November 17, 2009 12:55 PM

Seems like I was not aware of real intention for the tax. I would say include it in the petrol, not a good idea to regulate the traffic.

By sumone | November 17, 2009 1:31 PM

The problem with including it in the fuel ost is that everyone will drive to Germany or Belgium just to fill up on cheap lower tax petrol. Then everyone will start moaning about the extortionate price of fuel in NL whilst conveniently forgetting that they don't pay road tax. The only way to make this one fairer would be for all EU countries to put road tax on fuel. But then the Eastern Europeans would just drive outside the EU....

By simplastic | November 17, 2009 2:38 PM

Someone has to pay for the roads building and maintenance, this is a good program in theory. To the one poster who thinks it is not a good idea to regulate traffic is obviously one of those who drive more than normal. The poster who is afraid of the government using the information for "other uses" is silly. What are you afraid of? Doing something illegal? The cost of those "navigational systems" are coming down and they too can record all your vehicles destinations and speed. I am sure with technology evolving could they too be used? The weight of the vehicle too should be considered, the lighter the vehicle the less wear on the road. Get the truck freight back on the rails, get the people back on the rails/walking/bicycles. We need to look to the future and see that European countries are adopting American situations, traffic jams. End this silly mimicry and get back to basics. An auto is a fine invention but your legs are a better invention.

By Paul Martin | November 17, 2009 2:44 PM

Next is the air we breath

By Xrhstos Koutounidhs | November 17, 2009 4:26 PM

Yes! Good idea! include the tax in the petrol cost. How is it that a bunch of amateurs on a webpage can figure out a simple and sane solution in a matter of minutes and politicians take years to figure out a stupid solution? The only answer is either (1) impossible stupidity, which I find hard to believe, or (2) they are indeed trying to figure out a sneeky way of tracking our movements!

By Matt | November 17, 2009 4:59 PM

The Gov. is playing God!!!!!

By Al | November 17, 2009 5:14 PM

Why we have to pay this tax at all? The price of petrol is already high (in which some taxes are hidden) as well as the prices of the cars. This should be enough for this goverment and country for keeping the roads as they are. I do not agree at all with paying road tax. Assuming that one has a car of 1.5 tone running on gasoline which is approx. 800 euros per year of the road tax. This is crazy! This country is crazy! I'm already paying huge amount of my income tax. This should be enough for the roads as well. But this country prefers to give money to people who don't want to work having 5 children at home. This is sick!!!

By Marta | November 17, 2009 5:18 PM

Whatever happened to the Holland I loved...FREEDOM! Paradise looks lost, huh?

By Patrick Henry | November 17, 2009 6:15 PM

I did not find this country has more civilian rights than those countries are considered have human right problems. who is running this program? guess how many gps devices the whole country need and who is gonna to pay for it? dirty politians

By soul | November 17, 2009 7:29 PM

Sumone said "Seems like I was not aware of real intention for the tax."

There is only one reason - ever - for any tax. That is to boost the income for the government to spend.

'Green tax' fixes nothing - it doesn't stop warming, it doesnt fix the hole in the ozone layer, it doesnt reduce the cars on the road or the planes in the sky: it doesnt make the Netherlands suddenly environmentally friendly. It pays social security, armed forces, policing, schooling, etc etc just like every other tax. But gullible people don't complain as much because they feel they are doing their bit to save the earth.

By osita | November 17, 2009 8:11 PM

Y'all allowed this? The Washington, District of Criminals best think twice before attempting to implement something remotely akin to this.

Bootlickers.

By Johnny Reb | November 18, 2009 1:19 AM

Simplastic: I beleve that in some Eastern EU contries road tax is already in the fuel price.
To Paul, I drive pretty much normal. I am just trying to imagine what it would be If I would have to be at 9 at work and I would face the regulations. Lucky for me I am outside of 9-17. I think I would not be happy.
Matt cheer up a bit, will ya ;) You can look at countries which use it and you can have your own 5 minutes judgement.

By Sumone | November 18, 2009 6:43 AM

already the fuel price in the netherlands is of the highest is europe and around the world.
@paul martin: of course if we use the roads we should pay for them.Nobody said the opposite.the question is HOW MUCH we pay and whether this money good for road maintainance and related issues or...elsewhere.
may i remind that in europe already we pay so much fr car usage when compared to US, australia, canada, japan (western countries) or china and other eastern countries.is not right.

By kos | November 18, 2009 7:25 AM

Say, what's so great about driving a car in the Netherlands on congested roads? Every few meters and yet another speed bump & traffic light!
The ONLY way to reduce traffic would be to limit car ownership. Nearly every kid that turns 18 wants driving lessons, just to prove their independence, what independence? - still living with mum & dad, they now have 3 cars in the family!

By stevie | November 18, 2009 5:38 PM

@stevie..let's start using mules and horses..but imagine an A2 full of mules? are we gonna put taxt to them also?

By kos | November 19, 2009 6:16 AM

A gasoline (petrol) tax would make more sense if the objective were to tax for use of roads. Because a gas tax would be easier on those with good gas mileage.

The objective here seems to be, for government to keep track of the location of vehicles and those in them.

By kevin | November 19, 2009 9:11 AM

@kos: Good idea, but who will clean the mess up? Do you know what it costs to keep a horse? - a lot more than a car!

By stevie | November 19, 2009 2:42 PM

When will you people wake up. You got rid of the nazis 65 years ago, and now they are coming back. This isn't about taxes, that's a con job. It's about domination of the people by psychotic control freaks. Any fascist that proposes this kind of obnoxious interference with your liberty and freedom should have his head broken on the spot. Do it now, or you will have to fight them later. Or do we all have to become communists to have "peace"? Oh, whoops, that didn't work out too well. Who are these little minds in the cabinet anyway? Who are their friends that will benefit from the gadgets, the data processing, the funds processing etc etc. WE're in a damned depression you fools, wake up and get out of our way, we have enough problems without your stupid B.S.
I am fed up with the tyranny of incompetence. LEAVE US ALONE !!!!

By Dawson | November 20, 2009 3:12 AM