Mileage and emissions-based charges could be introduced for lorries to cut traffic under a proposal by the Department for Transport

Britain’s first national pay-per-mile road charging system is being considered by the government, The Times has learnt.

Mileage and emissions-based charges could be introduced for lorries to cut traffic under a proposal by the Department for Transport (DfT).

It is outlining the system for heavy goods vehicles, which raises the prospect that the new levy could be used in part to replace existing taxes such as fuel duty. The move comes as the amount of fuel duty the Treasury collects — £27.5 billion this year, at a rate of 57.95p per litre of diesel or petrol — is projected to fall because of the growth of electric and hybrid cars. It would represent a significant overhaul of how vehicles are taxed.

The government said that