Hemel MP Mike Penning has taken a lead in condemning the Government's plans to introduce road charging by tabling an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons today.

Mike Penning said:

“The use of tracking technology is both unfair and intrusive and yet again undermines some of our very basic freedoms. We are already some of the most-watched people on the planet. The Government would collect records of everywhere you have been – the potential for misuse of this information is frightening.

“For most working people of middle England, the car is the only freedom they have. Imposing such draconian measures is a direct attack on our civil liberties.”

Mike is further concerned that the model proposed will unfairly hit the poor and people of fixed incomes instead of targeting the large BMWs and 4 x 4s.

He said:

“The introduction of road charging will not deter drivers – if high taxation was sufficient to get people to switch to alternative transport they would already be doing it. Drivers are already heavily taxed via the road tax and at the petrol pump, but how many people do you know who have sold their car and taken to the bus? It’s quite simple – most of us have no choice. Most people use their car as a necessity – not out of choice - in rural areas there is often no public transport alternative, even if the people wanted to use it.

“I recognise that we need to reduce carbon emissions, but this is not the way to do it. More money should be invested in research and development of emission-free fuels and biofuels,” he said. “That should be the priority, not forcing people off the roads where they have no alternative”.