The solution finally adopted must have regard for complexity of the charging regime, and the costs of enforcement and collection.
Excise duty on fuel is (I think) collected from importers and refineries and possibly distribution depots - a few hundred?
VAT is collected from businesses running forecourts - less than 10,000
There are 30m cars on the road. This may seem impossibly complex to manage and enforce.
The RFL is collected from all of them - a fixed amount often paid by standing order - the ability to link individuals with bank account and maintain a direct debit system is certainly feasible. If adopted as the solution, there will be objectors, those without bank accounts etc.
Reflect on the thought that pre-Covid the idea of a cashless society was considered to be implausible or a long way off. Many businesses are now cashless even for trivial items - bars, parking charges, newsagents, coffee shops etc. We now just wave a card or a smart phone.
There will still be a problem with enforcement just as there is at the moment. With more money at stake, government will be keener to step up solutions rather than apparently ignoring it as is often the case now.
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