THE lure of lower road tax - dangled by the Prime Minister as an olive branch to drivers who oppose road charging - will probably not be enough to persuade them to change their minds.
But Tony Blair is right not to back down because the debate that is raging over the issue is a crucial one and, eventually, hard decisions will have to be made.
More and more cars are competing for space on Britain's roads, strangling our cities and blocking our motorways.
We cannot simply build new roads and widen existing ones. The burden on the public purse and damage to the environment would be too much.
Meanwhile, the fumes being belched out by traffic are contributing significantly to global warming.
Whether road charging would be a practical, effective and fair way to tackle these problems is a contentious issue because no-one likes to have to pay more to do what they have taken for granted.
Supporters of the proposals suggest that it would encourage drivers to think more carefully about using their vehicles and would provide money to improve public transport so that it was an appealing alternative to private cars.
Mr Blair has his work cut out if he is to win hearts and minds, persuading voters that this is not simply a stealth tax. But he must try his hardest.
This is an issue that will not go away.