I would expect governments to pay once for the right to use such a font in perpetuity for its intended purpose. I don't begrudge typographers their remuneration

I would expect governments to pay once for the right to use such a font in perpetuity for its intended purpose. I don't begrudge typographers their remuneration, but from a public standpoint it makes no sense to have to license a typeface separately for every government computer that needs to use it to design road signs.