Buried by traffic, Europe looks into charging drivers by the mile

Buried by traffic, Europe looks into charging drivers by the mile

In the Netherlands, the government is running a pilot program to charge drivers a fee for the miles they drive. Volunteers are letting researchers place meters in their cars that tabulate a charge for each car trip by using a mileage-based formula that also takes account of a car™s fuel efficiency, the time of day and the route. (Driving on busier thoroughfares costs more than driving on less-traveled roads.) At the end of each month, the vehicle™s owner receives a bill detailing times and costs of usage, not unlike a cellphone bill, although participants in the trial do not have to pay the charges.

The test by the Dutch is one of several being done by governments in car-clogged regions of Europe, Asia and even the United States. Whether the systems are implemented remains to be seen. In the Netherlands, where residents have the highest average commuting time in Europe and a reputation for environmental innovation, the government had planned to institute a nationwide system next year. But the plan was shelved when a new government came to power in 2010.

The winning party said, If you elect us, there won™t be new taxes,™ and killed the plan, said Ab Oosting, a city official in Eindhoven, where the current test is being conducted.

Supporters of the meters contend that the charges are fairer than current taxes like automobile purchase and registration fees, because they are based on actual use rather than ownership. If imposed, they could supplant gas and vehicle taxes as well as tolls.

Distance charging also provides a means of replacing declining revenues from gasoline taxes as more people drive highly efficient, hybrid or electric cars, helping governments that have traditionally depended on gas taxes for road upkeep.

In the United States, states including Oregon, Texas and Minnesota, have explored mileage charging systems, but they haven™t gotten very far.