Dear Editor,
Re: “There’s no free ride for EV drivers,” Letters, July 29.
Operators of electric vehicles must also pay their share of B.C. road taxes which go towards the maintenance of roads in British Columbia.
These taxes are normally collected through the purchase of gasoline. However, since EV users do not buy gasoline they are not paying their share of the road maintenance.
What makes this even more necessary is the recent news that EVs are causing more wear and tear on our roads due to their heavier weight as a result of the heavy batteries, and yet they are not contributing to the cost of maintaining the damage they are causing.
I am currently contemplating the purchase of an EV and would not be opposed to a separate tax that is equivalent to what gasoline vehicles pay.
I applaud the users of EVs and they are to be commended for their contribution to an improved environment but they cannot escape their responsibility to the maintenance of our roadways. Australia has just introduced such a tax to be levied on all EV owners.
Each EV owner must provide their current mileage to the government and after one year provide another reading. The owner is charged a predetermined fee (tax) based on the distance driven over the year. I would support a similar system for British Columbia. Is the government listening?
Robert Eakin
RICHMOND
