YOUR columnist Fred Shawcross and correspondent George Francis are right in saying that the fairest way for road pricing is to abolish the road fund licence and put the tax on fuel.

That policy would be popular with the people, fairer and enable people to continue to budget their periodic outgoings.

However, it would also mean job losses at the DVLC and DVLA, which would not be popular with the government.

The image Fred Shawcross has of Alistair Darling being similar to the hapless Captain Darling is correct; Alistair Darling's Blackadder being the EU.

In 2008, the French Ariane V rockets will put the Galileo navigation satellite system in place and this is to provide the EU with an independent source of income worth billions of euros a year.

The DoT website has a 2003 consultation document on the need for a harmonised, Galileo-based system of road tolls throughout the EU and this was confirmed by EC directive 2004/52 on the setting up of a European electronic toll service.

There is of course more to Galileo than fleecing the motorist.

The satellite is to provide the EU's armed forces with a navigation system independent of the USA which is why China has bought a 20 per cent share.

The road pricing system is supposed to create more than 200,000 jobs.

How many come to Britain, unlike immigrants and the people of the new poorer states, is uncertain.

This road pricing policy is and never has been Alistair Darlings idea - he just has to do what he is told.

Angela Bradshaw

Horeshoe Lane

Bromley Cross