[Stuart]

My point is that the cost of road building and maintainance exceeds the revenue from VED, so everyone contributes to it. And as you allude to, that feels perfectly reasonable now, but may not have in the 30s when car ownership was lower.

I'm not suggesting it's a perfect analogy but I think it is a valid example of something going from just users paying for it to general taxation.

My point was that transport infrastructure is a state provision, which benefits everyone. My food or other shopping could not be provided without using it. It is therefore funded from general taxation. People don't need to personally drive on roads to obtain the benefit of their existence.

5 million households, almost 20% of the total, do not benefit in any way from having a TVL. They choose not to require it.

You cannot force a universal charge for a non-state service on people who deliberately don't meet the criteria. Personally, I'm happy with the current TVL, but it's a dwindling revenue source.

Another solution has to be found, but universal collection regardless of requirement is most definitely not the answer.