FRESNO (KMJ) — The tax we pay on gas purchased in California could soon be replaced by a per-mile charge on our cars.
The State of California has noticed that the revenue it gets from applying a tax to the amount of gas we buy at the pump isn’t paying the same dividends at is was before.
More fuel efficient engines, hybrids, and electric vehicles are all using the roads to the same extent but not paying the same as they were before.
So Caltrans, the California Transportation Commission, and the California State Transportation Agency, are looking at a flat road charge based on how much you drive.
Right now the idea is in the pilot stage to test it out and see if it can work.
“Takes a lot of time to put something like this together”, says Chair of the Taskforce Committee Jim Madaffer.
“It’s a matter of phasing out the gasoline tax that’s no longer sustainable for the long term and phasing this new thing in”.
“What we study and what we determine in this pilot, will help us shape what we’ll eventually offer to the citizens of California”.
Madaffer adds that the amount of revenue gained from gas tax continues to fall, and yet the amount it costs to maintain the roads remains the same.
They do need drivers to test out the road charge, and if you’d like to try it and let the state know whether or not it can work you can apply clicking here.
