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Australia’s roads are full of giant cars, and everyone pays the price. What can be done? (theconversation.com)
submitted 9 months ago by to c/australia@aussie.zone
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[–] 17 points 9 months ago (13 children)

We should charge rego by weight and volume. We should measure safety by damage inflicted, not damage deflected.

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  • [–] 4 points 9 months ago (12 children)

    We already to. IMHO rego is weight based.

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  • [–] 6 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (8 children)

    Rego is weight-based, but it's utterly fucked.

    My 900kg hatchback costs $149 more to register than a ute up to 4500kg out in the country.

    In the city, the rego difference is $1.10.

    https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/registrations/fees-and-charges/vehicle-fees#registration-renewal-fees-for-light-motor-vehicles

    What's worse, their FAQ says a lot of TAC claims for utes are paid by workcover, not the TAC. That's why it's cheaper.

    ...so people who purchase a roadblimp to use for school dropoffs are dodging the TAC charge, whilst being a much larger hazard than everyone else.

    https://www.tac.vic.gov.au/about-the-tac/our-organisation/transport-accident-charge?drop=6

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  • [–] 2 points 9 months ago (6 children)

    I did not realize that rego is state specific. IMHO NSW has most sane method.
    In NSW your hatchback will cost $270 and 3 tonne SUV $949. https://www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/vehicle-registration/fees-concessions-and-forms/vehicle-registration-fees

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  • [–] 1 point 9 months ago (5 children)

    As a Victorian I am loathe to say it, but this is definitely one thing you guys do a hell of a lot better than us.

    Especially with the uptake in EVs, which while better for the environment long-term also pose a similar issue for pedestrians and cyclists, registration costs need to be reviewed and rethought from the ground up.

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  • [–] 2 points 8 months ago (4 children)

    They need to break it down to a Road Levy and a Fuel Levy.

    A 2.5T Tesla Model X should pay more for road maintenance than a 900kg Suzuki Swift.

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  • [–] 2 points 8 months ago (3 children)

    In the long-term, absolutely, we will need to revisit the fuel levy as we transition towards more EVs.

    However I think it would be short-sighted to do anything currently that could disincentivise EV uptake.

    I’d honestly much rather see a 1,000 more Model Ys on the road than 100 Rangers.

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  • [–] 2 points 8 months ago (2 children)

    I would rather see more trains on railway tracks and buses with rational routes that service everyone than a single Tesla.

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  • [–] 2 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    Oh, absolutely - we’re on the Pakenham line and took the trip through the new metro tunnel last weekend, absolutely brilliant!

    But there are trips and roles that can’t rely on PT, and for those I would much rather see EV adoption over more gigantic Yank-tank “trucks” with somehow less bed-space than what the Commodore and Falcon used to offer.

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  • [–] 2 points 8 months ago

    Yeah, I find it hilarious when I see a RAM that is actually being used by a tradie, with two Rhino Boxes and a short stack of Milwaukee PACK-OUTs taking up all the space in the tray, while a Triton parked next to it has an entire workshop of tools.

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  • [–] 2 points 8 months ago

    Canberra charges based on emissions category, with EVs being cheapest to register, and big engine diesels being the most expensive

    They are categorised by their CO2 emissions in g/km, so the big and least efficient pay much more

    News article, as the ACT government doesn't seem to publish the details in an easy to read format

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  • [–] 3 points 9 months ago*

    Depends on the state. NSW for example is one that does vary depending on weight (based on weight ranges, not a full sliding scale) - there's a ~$180 difference between my sedan and van due to the van's higher tare weight placing it in the next category up. QLD on the other hand is one that doesn't - they charge based on the cylinder count instead.

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