The poll, carried out by market research firm Taloustutkimus, surveyed 1,000 people and found that 55% were opposed to the proposals, which were put forward by a government transport working group led by former Nokia CEO Jorma Ollila. Only one in four supported the idea that road tax should be calculated based on how much a driver uses their vehicle, with an in-car tracking device transmitting mileage information to a satellite positioning system.
The research found that both supporters and opponents of the plan justified their opinion on the basis of fairness, with those in favour arguing that someone who drives more should pay more. Objectors to the tax believed it would be unfair to residents of rural areas.
Minister: tough decisions ahead
Meanwhile Transport Minister Merja Kyllönen (from the Left Alliance) claimed in an Yle television interview on Saturday that the government is not shying away from tough issues. She said it’s up to politicians to make a decision on whether or not to adopt the pay-by-the-kilometre proposal for road users.
Minister Kyllönen said the Transport and Communications Ministerial Working Group addressed difficult questions with its proposals, including the security, price and civil liberties aspects of a tracking-based road tax.
”I believe that the system will change, though I can’t say at this stage what the final set-up will look like. This proposal has been considered in detail by the working group, but it is now politicians who will decide whether to take it forward or not,” Kyllönen said.
Under the working group’s proposals, the mileage tax would vary depending on the area in which the vehicle is travelling and the level of carbon emissions it causes.
The margin of error on the poll was three percentage points in either direction.
