How much fuel tax income is spent on mending the roads?
Tuesday 22nd December 2009, 3:00PM GMT.
From Peter Bewers.
YOUR correspondent and former Treasurer of the States, John Clennett, makes interesting reading in his comments (JEP, 16 December) on the expenditure for our roads, namely Victoria Avenue, but I regret to say that I feel he is completely wrong.
Firstly, it is not the States’ money that is being spent on the essential repairs and resurfacing of our roads, it is the taxpayers’, and in this case the Island motorists pay from the huge amount of tax which is collected from them every time they buy fuel – around £2 for five litres (just over a gallon) plus 3% GST.
It does not take much imagination to see the very large amount of revenue being collected on our behalf – of which, in my opinion, a very small part is actually spent on maintaining the roads, but is used in all States spending. So you could say that the Island’s motorists are getting a very poor deal from the Treasury.
Motorists may well remember the old system of road tax, whereby we were charged according to the size and length of our vehicle. And the roads were maintained on a rolling programme of resurfacing and repair by Ronez Quarries. I feel that we had far better maintenance of our roads than we presently have.
In fact, I would go as far as to say that before the current repairs were put in hand on Victoria Avenue, I can scarcely remember the road being in such a poor state of repair.
You will also observe that on other roads in the Island a system of patching is the current practice, not one of regular resurfacing every few years, as used to be the practice.
I am not in any way blaming the current Transport minister, Mike Jackson, as I feel he has made a great effort to get a programme of work under way within the financial budget at his disposal and is trying to make up for years of neglect on the Avenue and the promenade, and I applaud him.
It would make interesting reading to learn just how much tax is collected from the sale of motor fuel and how little of this is spent in maintaining our Island roads.
Travel
To, from and around the Island
Airport Arrivals & Departures
Harbours Arrivals & Departures
Bus Information & Timetables
JOIN US ON...
Facebook and Twitter
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Got a story? Get in touch
KIT 4 CLUBS
Win a share of £10,000
2012 is the year of the London Olympics and to celebrate this great event the Jersey Evening Post, in association with sponsors Ogier is giving all sporting clubs a chance to win a share of £10,000.
This is Jersey
Jersey Evening Post
Useful links
I wonder if they have to dig up the roads more often than they used to due to more stuff having to be laid under the road?
The section of road between Bel Royal and Quetivel Mill is disgusting, especially on a bicycle without suspension, as is the long stretch further up in St. Peter’s Valley and La Rue de Sergente leading down to La Pulente from La Moye, I nearly came off my bike there the other day when I hit a big hole.
When riding along on my bike, I can’t help but wonder why they don’t dig the trench in the middle of the lane (between vehicles’ wheels), rather than on one side where bicycles ride and the left wheel of vehicles travels? Any ideas?
Report abuse
Well, they could bring back motor tax but don’t imagine that you will pay any less for fuel.
They already know what most drivers are prepared to pay for it wthout bothering to shop around or boycotting the expensive forecourts.
Report abuse
Ah, the days of standing in line at the Chelsea Hotel, waiting in line to tax the car.
Not sure, but I think it used to be about £30 for a large car…..I reckon £400 a year in tax for a medium size car, doing around 7000 mls.
Is it something like 55% per litre is tax ?
Peter Bewers is correct, not much spent in road maintenance. Perhaps it should be renamed, ‘Money for something other than road repair tax’
(may have to get uk consultant in to spice it up a bit though, to help the locals swallow it)
Report abuse
I think the a large amount of the money spent on mending roads is in fact wasted on mending what is not broken.
Take the present works on Victoria Avenue: had they just resurfaced the road they would have had this done already at far less expense; instead they’re re-aligning the kerbs and road, at huge expense for no apparent benefit!?!
Similar to the money wasted making the Bel Royal junction adjacent to the slip more dangerous than previously it was.
Report abuse
The looking back photos in the JEP often depict a road devoid of motor vehicles, yet the road surface usually looks fine with no scars from works to services.
Taxes raised from fuel duty and road tax would have been a fraction of what is raised now, yet the roads were well kept compared to now, where transport is contiunally taxed to the hilt, yet the money does not get spent on maintaining the roads.
Report abuse
And by the St.J ambulance place in St.Martin they’ve wasted time and money putting a short stretch of pavement along the road by the recent estate even though there is no pavement before it or after it and there’s a pavement the other side of the road anyway and it makes no difference to how easy it is to cross the road. Utter waste of money!
Report abuse
I think most of the blame for poor surface quality has to be laid with the utilities. An example JNW has completely ruined the roads from St Martin’s Arsenal all the way to Trinity Hill despite most residents being on bore hole. Contractors don’t care. It’s not the States fault but the roads committee should be forcing contractors and utilities to put the roads back how they found them. Trouble is with the roads up so often why bother doing a good job re-surfacing if it’s going to be dug up again in 6 months for some other service?
I think the duty here is fair, and a fair way of taxing both for use of the raods and impact on environment. Don’t forget in the UK duty is not only higher, they also pay road tax on top and as of 1st Jan 2010 will back to 17.5% VAT as well.
Warren J
Yes a fraction of the taxes and a fraction of the cars wearing the road with a fraction and a fraction of the sercices needed to maintain them… there’s a correlation there. There’s more to roads than their surfaces.
Report abuse
All I can say is ‘Tuk, Tuk’ and ‘rickshaws’ to the States Treasury.Tuk tuks and rickshaws will cause far less wear and tear on the road surface than other vehicles.
Report abuse
Bring back the good old horse and cart. I’m sure that there are many local yokels who would relish the opportunity to get back to their not so distant roots.
Report abuse
If we all drove 4x4s with their big wheels and long suspension travel we could save all this money spent on resurfacing roads every 20 years.
I blame all you wimps driving wheel barrow wheeled micros with no suspension that insist on flat billiard table roads for our dilemma.
I hope you are all adding the cost of this constant resurfacing to your carbon footprint, you should pay double the tax cost on your fuel
.
Report abuse