Millions of drivers have spoken in favour of new road taxes to be applied to certain motorists in a bid to fix the state of roads across the country.
New research has found that 56 per cent of Britain's motorists have backed proposals that would require operators of heavy vehicles should pay extra to repair roads.
Most drivers believe operators of heavy goods vehicles and delivery vans should pay an "additional levy". This would be ringfenced for road surface repairs.
Only 17 per cent of drivers disagreed with the suggestion, which would aim to repair potholes strewn across roads around the country.
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Drivers are in favour of taxing certain vehicles to help repair more UK roads
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The proposals, which have been put forward by Kwik Fit, have gained prominence as drivers identify potholes as one of the biggest annoyances for motorists.
Many drivers also support placing an additional levy on delivery vans, with 44 per cent in favour and 23 per cent against.
Almost half of the survey respondents said the weight of a car should be a critical factor in setting "road tax".
It comes as the popularity of SUVs has soared over the last decade across the UK, Europe and around the world.
Drivers often report preferring the comfort and space of an SUV, while the vehicles are also often packed with technology to make driving and parking easier in day-to-day use.
Almost 50 per cent of people are calling owners of heavier cars to pay a higher rate of Vehicle Excise Duty to reflect their "greater impact on the roads".
SUVs are already subject to additional charges across the UK, with new parking levies being introduced that target larger and more polluting vehicles.
These larger cars can also be hit with the Expensive Car Supplement if the vehicle costs more than £40,000. It will cost them a staggering £425 a year for five years after the first year of registration.
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Dan Joyce, operations director at Kwik Fit, said: "The data shows that there is an increasingly pressing need to invest in the maintenance of our road network, but our new research highlights that there are no easy answers as to how this is funded.
"Motorists already feel that they are contributing enough, so it is understandable that they want the additional burden to be on the heavier vehicles believed to do the most damage to road surfaces."
Previous research from Kwik Fit has found that drivers are paying a staggering £1.7billion a year to repair vehicle damage caused by potholes.
More than three-quarters of motorists said the number of potholes on UK roads was an "embarrassment" for one of the world's leading economies.
Kwik Fit estimates that drivers are paying £1.7billion a year to fix vehicle repairs caused by potholes
KWIK FIT
Joyce added: "Of course, any costs placed on businesses through levies on HGVs or delivery vans are likely to be passed through to the end consumer, so it's critical that potential measures are not looked at in isolation.
"And however the required funding is raised, what is vital is for there to be a long-term strategic plan for road maintenance rather than short-term patching."
A Department for Transport spokesperson told GB News that the Government was taking steps to end the "pothole plague" across the country, including a £1.6billion investment this year.
It added: "That will fix the equivalent of up to seven million extra potholes over the next financial year."
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