fuel prices

[bigc]

If the governement were serious about cutting pollution and getting cars off the road then they would offset the cost of public transport. Until it is far cheaper to travel on buses and trains then people won't do it.

Only problem is it would involve yet MORE bail outs to the privatised companies..

Offset the cost of public transport? Well isn't that what the plan was in London, C-Charge funding transport upgrades? Seems fair to me but doesn't stop people moaning about it.

 

[algie]

Have you been asleep for the last ten years? Public transport HAS improved, especially in and around the Brighton area. Many more people are using it.

But there are still people who prefer to spread the story that they "can't" use it until it gets better. Or that the answer is to spend money on making the roads wider, when, as any fule kno, wider roads create MORE traffic.[/QUOT....

 

[algie]

But cars still pollute don't they?

And I imagine the advances in environmentally-better cars is being somewhat offset by increases in the number of cars on the road anyway?

So do millions of home owners who use there open fires.

 

[Robbie G]

So do millions of home owners who use there open fires.

But Guy Fawkes implied that now cars are more enviornmentally friendly, car owners should be compensated for driving them. I merely pointed out that as long as they are burning fossil fuels they are still polluting

I certainly wouldn't sit in my house with an open fire, expecting the government to pay me for it

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Oh thats the answer.Why didn't i think of that.Not that Labour keeps hitting fuel prices as well as all the other taxes, bills that have increased ten fold since they got in.Thats a tipical response of a plank
I must tell all the haulage companies,taxis,public transport,supermarkets etc your simple answer.

Incase you didnt realise, my response is in the context of the domestic driver....as the chain letter above is also in the context of the domestic driver. Haulage companies and public transport dont queue up at the pumps which are highlighted in the missive....to the best of my knowlege.

If you are a domestic driver......drive less and you will save money.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Great idea but some people have to drive vehicles for their work. We can't all walk and cycle to permanent work places.

I agree, but numerous people also use vehicles for short journeys....which is just plain lazy. If everyone cut these out...demand drops....and under the simple supply and demand rule the price will drop. Which, in essence, is what is being requested in the chain letter.

My car stays outside my house other than two trips I make to work a week. I use a bike, a bus or train these days. I walk to the supermarket.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

If you cut out all the short journeys, say within a mile of your home, I reckon the savings would be even greater...fuel economy is at its worst until your engine is fully warmed up, certainly far better on a long run. By walking instead (or cycling) you reduce your fuel consumption, save money, spew out less pollutants and keep fit into the bargain...everyone's a winner!

Exactly. And with weather like today jumping on the bike and heading off somewhere with the missus is a great way to spend the day.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

Have you been asleep for the last ten years? Public transport HAS improved, especially in and around the Brighton area. Many more people are using it.

But there are still people who prefer to spread the story that they "can't" use it until it gets better. Or that the answer is to spend money on making the roads wider, when, as any fule kno, wider roads create MORE traffic.

Not better where i live - there ain't a bus that can get me to work on time, as service starts after my start time at work, andf no trains unless i go on a massive detour? same as 10 years ago so how is that better?

- there was going to be more traffic anyway - so saying not to build / widen is the answer is stupid. it's a rediculas arguement to say that the reason there are more cars on the road nowadays is just because there are more and wider roads - a very naive arguement. - stationary traffic craetes more pollution that moving traffic any day of the week,

look at the dials in Brighton, where the traffic lights work against each other so only a couple of cars get through each sequence, or how about in London and the congestion charge con, the month before they implemented loadsa detours and roadworks, yet none when it opened so that they could show statistics to say that the charge was the reason that traffic flow improved

 

[Guy Fawkes]

Why then do train companies charge far higher prices for on peak travel, the time when people need to use it for work?
Why have some public transport companies admitted that too many people were using there services, and that the networks haven't the capacity to expand to meet it that they have to push up the price to discourage users - hardly green either eh?

 

[Guy Fawkes]

and what is a bigger cause of green house gases and pollution in the world - Cows! - so should we tax the out of the fields, making it too expensive for farmers to breed etc, in the cause of enviromentalism, then what happens (as with fuel) when to off set this extra cost to the farmers, they are forced to push up prices?

The last time i checked, Buses used petrol / diesel, so won't high fuel costs mean that they have extra expense has to be passed on to the consumer, and most users of public transport tend to be pensioners, school kids etc. how will higher public transport prices on buses tempt them to leave the car behind?

 

[manilaseagull]

48p per litre here ....might have to get a bigger car!!

 

[South Yarra Seagull]

Just approaching AU$1.50 a litre of 91 octane unleaded.

I was putting $40 a week into my car, worked out i never drove more than 15 miles in one go, so sold it and bought a Vespa. Insurance cost halved, petrol costs less than 25% of what it was.

A full tank costs me about AU$&.50 and lasts a week! Not only THAT but i cruise past all the traffic and my actual journey time is greatly reduced.

Strongly recommend anyone to think outside the box...

 

[Gwylan]

and what is a bigger cause of green house gases and pollution in the world - Cows! - so should we tax the out of the fields, making it too expensive for farmers to breed etc, in the cause of enviromentalism, then what happens (as with fuel) when to off set this extra cost to the farmers, they are forced to push up prices?

That would be a great idea. Not only do cows contribute to greenhouse gases but consume a huge amount of resources - between 5 and 8 kilos of grain go to producing a kilo of meat, depending which figures you believe and about 14 times as much water. If I were PM, I'd start looking to reducing the subsidies to livestock farming to cut down on the amount of resources consumed. It would have to be gradual and over a long period but that would certainly help cut down emissions and save grain,

My feeling on all of this is that sooner or later, we're going to have to change our lifestyles. If we reduce fuel costs now, we're only postponing the inevitable, once we reach peak oil, costs are going to rise and rise - are we going to be using cars in the same way if prices reach £5 a litre? £10 a litre?

For all the bleating about the high prices, petrol is still too cheap. Every time I take my daughter to school, there's a queue of cars waiting to drop their kids off. This is school that serves the local estate, no-one has more than 500m to walk to school, yet people would rather drive - fuel is too cheap as long as drivers hop into their cars for such short journeys.

Personally, I would increase fuel costs by more than 2p per litre (offsetting the raise with extra help for hauliers and an increase in income tax threshold) but give some notice about it so that people stuck with a long journey to work could change their situation - it will have to change some time, so might as well get used to it.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

That would be a great idea. Not only do cows contribute to greenhouse gases but consume a huge amount of resources - between 5 and 8 kilos of grain go to producing a kilo of meat, depending which figures you believe and about 14 times as much water. If I were PM, I'd start looking to reducing the subsidies to livestock farming to cut down on the amount of resources consumed. It would have to be gradual and over a long period but that would certainly help cut down emissions and save grain,

My feeling on all of this is that sooner or later, we're going to have to change our lifestyles. If we reduce fuel costs now, we're only postponing the inevitable, once we reach peak oil, costs are going to rise and rise - are we going to be using cars in the same way if prices reach £5 a litre? £10 a litre?

For all the bleating about the high prices, petrol is still too cheap. Every time I take my daughter to school, there's a queue of cars waiting to drop their kids off. This is school that serves the local estate, no-one has more than 500m to walk to school, yet people would rather drive - fuel is too cheap as long as drivers hop into their cars for such short journeys.

Personally, I would increase fuel costs by more than 2p per litre (offsetting the raise with extra help for hauliers and an increase in income tax threshold) but give some notice about it so that people stuck with a long journey to work could change their situation - it will have to change some time, so might as well get used to it.

I agree with everything you have written. On the subject of 'long journey's to work' I do find it strange that given so many people commute from Brighton to London more businesses dont relocate down here.

 

[sod1]

I agree with everything you have written. On the subject of 'long journey's to work' I do find it strange that given so many people commute from Brighton to London more businesses dont relocate down here.

there will be people who live nearer to London or the other side who would then have to commute to Brighton, so there would be nothing gained, what surprises me though is in the age of technology more people dont work from home and only commute to say meetings.In my last place of employment at Gatwick i could quite easily have worked from home in H/Heath.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

there will be people who live nearer to London or the other side who would then have to commute to Brighton, so there would be nothing gained, what surprises me though is in the age of technology more people dont work from home and only commute to say meetings.In my last place of employment at Gatwick i could quite easily have worked from home in H/Heath.

I disagree. A lot of commuters work in the financial sector. If a significant financial house opened up a sizable office in Brighton I struggle to see how it would not take a number of Brighton to London commuters out of the commute. I agree if people live in say Gatwick they might just swop Gatwick to London for Gatwick to Brighton. But I doubt people living in London and working in london will be interested in swopping a tube-hop for a London to Brighton commute. Whilst Brighton to London commuters would surely be attracted by a company on their doorstep?

 

[JJ McClure]

My daily drive is a cool 100 mile round trip from Burgess Hill to Surbiton. I've always had the opportunity to work from home, but have never felt quite comfortable with it (too many distractions etc). I am now putting at least one day a week work from home in my diary, sometimes two. Saves a fair wack over the month not only in diesel, but in lunch money too.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

My daily drive is a cool 100 mile round trip from Burgess Hill to Surbiton. I've always had the opportunity to work from home, but have never felt quite comfortable with it (too many distractions etc). I am now putting at least one day a week work from home in my diary, sometimes two. Saves a fair wack over the month not only in diesel, but in lunch money too.

I work from home 3 days a week. If you work on the living room table then sure there will be distractions but I have set aside one room in our house as an office with a dedicated phone line and I use it solely for this purpose. Nothing other than work stuff is kept in this room, and nothing other than work activities are conducted in this room. This way there are no distractions.

 

[beorhthelm]

On the subject of 'long journey's to work' I do find it strange that given so many people commute from Brighton to London more businesses dont relocate down here.

this is half the problem. the whole idea of commuting to work is what creates the vast majority of journeys. while you cant remove all of it, most jobs could easily be relocated to local centres if business mindsets were changed. I recall when i worked in Eastbourne i used to drive down there from Lewes and see a string of cars going the other way, everyday thousands of office workers, administrators and the like moving themselves from Eastbourne to Lewes/Brighton and thousands moving themselves the other way for what will be the same jobs. made very little sence to me. ive recently been looking fro a job and agents thought it was nothing to jump in a car and do a 50-60 minute commute (according to AA, so add 20 minutes in the rush hour) around London or to the towns just outside - one was actually dumbfounded when i said id get a train rather than drive.