Ah for f*ck sake, will they ever get a new drum to beat. Motor tax has no effect on whether people are willing to use public transport. I pay the highest pre-08 tax now and I use the bus at least twice a day Monday-Friday, sometimes more. I'll use it to go to Croke Park/Parnell Park when the intercounty starts back up, to go to the cinema and at various other times when it makes sense. I won't use it when I'm going to be out late (bus service stops at 11:30pm pretty much) or when using it is uneconomical on my time or money e.g. a trip to Clondalkin takes ~25 mins from home, but on a bus would take two fares, one to the city centre, one to Clondalkin and would take at least an hour.

Back when I had a Peugeot 206 at €300 tax I did the exact same thing. If the tax went up on my Peugeot I'd just pay it, if the tax goes up on the M3 I would have to consider changing car. The increases would not change my usage, and I doubt they will for anybody else.

Nobody wants to use a crap, expensive public transport system that doesn't serve them well. Raising motor tax won't have any effect except taking cars off the road (and not just for commuting). Raising tolls will do nothing except force traffic onto non-tolled and less well-equipped routes.

It's a stupid plan. If the government want us to use public transport then improve the quality and value of the service supplied