THE HAGUE, 01/02/03 - The next cabinet should introduce a tax per kilometer driven for car owners, the Transport Council urges in recommendations made to caretaker Transport Minister Roelf de Boer on Friday. The levy should replace the current road tax paid by car owners.

The Council (Raad voor Verkeer en Waterstaat) pressed for a km-levy on motorways, which would vary depending on the time and place of travel, and on how environmentally friendly the car is. It concludes that the measures are necessary and will be effective in the fight against congestion, as drivers will avoid busy roads and peak periods more often. The car purchase tax (BPM) and tax on car ownership should disappear and fuel excise reduced, the Council observed.

Last year, the present caretaker cabinet formed by the Christian democrats (CDA), Pim Fortuyn List (LPF) and conservatives (VVD) shelved the development of the km levy, which the preceding cabinet had seemed to be on the point of introducing, but had dropped at the last minute. CDA and Labour (PvdA), who are now negotiating on possible collaboration in a new government, hold differing opinions - only the PvdA is in favor of the levy.

However, PvdA leader Wouter Bos responded cautiously to the recommendation on Friday. "The km levy was in our election manifesto, but we all know that it cannot be introduced within one or two years," he said. His CDA counterpart Jan Peter Balkenende was not prepared to comment on the subject. Nor has Minister De Boer (LPF) reacted yet to the recommendation, which he requested himself.