Sir, – Donal McGrath makes several important points about insurance on older cars and correctly asserts that “the Government forces all drivers to have insurance cover” (May 4th). One solution might be to abolish insurance certificates per se and provide a national, single-payer motoring insurance fund.

This would provide for every motorist’s third-party, fire and theft cover and would be paid for by an insurance levy on petrol and diesel.

A government’s vulnerability to the ballot box and freedom from the profit motive would, in theory, have a cooling effect on the rate levied. Motorists who spend more time on the road would pay more, which seems fair and equitable. And being collected at the fuel pumps, the levy would be virtually impossible to evade.

Any motorist who wishes to upgrade their cover to comprehensive could still engage one of the existing private underwriters if they gauge the product to be value for money.

And if road tax was also merged into this new levy, gardaí­could spend more time dealing with actual crimes rather than shining torches at windscreens. – Yours, etc,

RONAN SCANLAN,

Leopardstown,

Dublin 18.