Petrol price increase

[Peggy Sue]

I have just had an e-mail circulated to me to voter against this rise. I'm actually not sure how I feel about this. I don't like the government sapping up everyones wages through every possible avenue and draining this country's economic status- making us buy cheap from abroad and so burning yet more oil.....but if fuel goes up maybe we can learn to use less, be more efficient.

Actually I think the vast majority will swallow small rises like this and make no changes- only a massive rise would really make people jump ship in enough numbers to make a difference.

Its a debate I think, and much as I really don't drive far now I haven't been brave enough to do more than talk about ditching the car.

[Merry]

Don`t know whether I`m entitled to an opinion as I haven`t had a car for 25 years now. Decent bus service and free bus pass!
Dunno - seems as though the rich won`t be affected and less affluent and/or rural people with poor access to public transport will suffer.
Perhaps those groups should have the say?

[Stonehead]

We can't continue to have cheap oil, it's as simple as that. And saying "we won't accept" price rises is futile and daft because with demand rising while supplies falter - and eventually fall - then upward pressure on prices are irresistable.

We're definitely not in the wealthy, suburban elite; we live 2.5 miles from town; we genuinely need our transport to move pigs, poultry, feed, straw and the like as well as move us; and and we have no public transport. But we have replaced one car with a trike; the Other Half car shares; we minimise journeys; and we drive efficiently.

All of our steps help reduce oil consumption and also lessen the effects of price rises on us. Sadly, most people seem to want to find excuses not to take similar steps themselves because of their own special circumstance or want to demand the government steps in to keep fuel prices down. Reality will hit one day...

[Peggy Sue]

Stonehead I had a moment of my imagination getting carried away and seeing your pigs on public transport

Seriously though, 3p on a litre won't make people stop and think in great numbers, and I think the goverment don't want them too, they would rather us pay and reap the extra tax.

I worked out what I could save not having a car, it's about 5K, I only work 3 miles from home and I bike there most days (howling gales being the exception as the traffic runs me off the road!). I'm really looking for ways to be a bit greener every day and I'm always broke- 5K would be LOVELY. I could take a taxi even on windy days and still save lots...why can't I let go? and if I can't who will?

[Stonehead]

why can't I let go? and if I can't who will?

There are a few of us who can let go and have done. There are a few who never got into the car habit. But the car-driving majority? Probably not until fossil fuels actually run out and then it will be too late.

Anyway, I'm just back from the nursery run on the trike (five-mile round trip and hilly).

I was rather amused when I arrived at the school nursery to have a mum come running over and say "do you realise you were doing 25mph in the 20 zone!". As I was peddling uphill in fifth at the time, I was quite pleased!!

Of course, it was unladen so it was just me and the bike (120kg). Guess I'll have to back off a bit in future, though.

[Cheezy]

I was rather amused when I arrived at the school nursery to have a mum come running over and say "do you realise you were doing 25mph in the 20 zone!". As I was peddling uphill in fifth at the time, I was quite pleased!!

Of course, it was unladen so it was just me and the bike (120kg). Guess I'll have to back off a bit in future, though.

Heheh, the question is did she have a radar gun (Unfortunately not a rediculus as it sounds these days), or was she following you in her private school run "bus", if so she must have been trying to keep up with you, and therefore breaking the limit her self

[Peggy Sue]

My favorite bit of biking to work is overtaking the cars, but they are usually stopped at the time!!

[Muddypause]

Seriously though, 3p on a litre won't make people stop and think in great numbers

Maybe not (though, for example, the creeping quarter percent on interest rates did have an effect eventually). But if petrol doesn't go up then it's just getting cheaper, and I can see no justification for that.

and I think the goverment don't want them too, they would rather us pay and reap the extra tax.

One way or another, the guv'ment has set a budget and will raise the tax revenue accordingly. If we don't pay it on petrol, it will be added to something else. I quite like petrol being the highly taxed option, because it is something I have quite a lot of control over; I have options like switching to an alternative fuel, altering my driving habits, reducing my mileage, changing my car, rearranging my travel needs, sharing rides, going by bus and bicycle...

I don't think that having a car, per se, is a terrible thing, but having a society that has become dependent upon it is. And imagine how awful our roads would be if petrol was cheap.

[Peggy Sue]

Yes I like the tax to be fuel too on that basis!

[Annpan]

.........

and I think the goverment don't want them too, they would rather us pay and reap the extra tax.

One way or another, the guv'ment has set a budget and will raise the tax revenue accordingly. If we don't pay it on petrol, it will be added to something else. I quite like petrol being the highly taxed option, because it is something I have quite a lot of control over; I have options like switching to an alternative fuel, altering my driving habits, reducing my mileage, changing my car, rearranging my travel needs, sharing rides, going by bus and bicycle...

I don't think that having a car, per se, is a terrible thing, but having a society that has become dependent upon it is. And imagine how awful our roads would be if petrol was cheap.

I think that this should be the case for most, if not all taxes... tax on cigarettes, alcohol, junk food, petrol, etc. Only problem being that if it slows the economy people can, and will, reduce their consumption of these luxuries, therefore causing tax raising problems, and further slow the economy Fine if only a handful of us do it, but if we all do it, there would be trouble...

I don't drive but OH drives the 20 miles to work everyday. But I live 3 miles out of town and people seem to think that I am either a weirdo or some kind of charity case. I walk to Mums and Toddlers group once a week, and the comments I get are much more tiresome than the walk Seems if you don't drive you are some kind of freak.

[Stonehead]

I've just received the CTC email newsletter, which has an article that starts

"A poll of 2,000 adults has found that only four out of ten Britons would do more exercise even if their lives depended on it."

So, I guess that means a lot of pressure for cheap petrol so they can continue not having to use any muscles except those in their bums...

[ina]

There was a time, not that long ago, when I couldn't afford a car. I had 1.5 hours' walk to work - most days I could take a bus for part of the way; but there were no buses at the weekend and evenings (which I also worked), and they were unreliable even during the week. All my colleagues drove, of course.

Guess who was always on time at work. 2 inches of snow, or floods ankle deep, and the car drivers couldn't get through. I had wellies.

Petrol will be getting a lot more expensive in the near future anyway, as supplies run lower and lower. I sincerely hope that more ways of sharing transport (informally as well as public) will become popular, even out in rural areas like ours.

[mrsflibble]

If James didnt commute to work by car we'd never see him. he works in west london, starts his shift at 7 or 8 am (or 8/9 pm depending on what shift he's on) and works through to 6/7pm. by the time he's done the underground, got a train back to billericay and picked up the car (no busses at 5am; very few on saturday, none on sunday) he's not back till 9pm if he's on days. that's too late for e to keep our very daddy attached baby up until. as he leaves before we even wake up she'd not see him for 7 days straight. it just can't be done. So he commutes by car so that he's home about 8pm to bath and put her to bed.
No, we can't live closer: my life, clients, friends and family are all here.

he is looking for a cheaper car, but until we move (1 month!!) we can't afford to as we don't know what cash will be going out for end of/start of tenancy bills etc.

[smile_sunshine]

The only real problem with not driving for me (i dont have a car) is getting home late at night cos it feels unsafe.
What annoys me as well is the number of jobs that say you must have transport - ok if its home deliverys or something but they seem to just say that anyway for all sorts of jobs you dont really need a car for!

[frozenthunderbolt]

ditto that - i abhor driving; the polution inefficiency and the stress - yet so many jobs require you to have a drivers licence. sigh.