Chicago Posted April 29, 2005 Share Posted April 29, 2005 Just want to add my 2 pence... Urban sprawl and poor public transportation increase the demand for cars and fuel. A good way to fix this is by: 1. Limiting urban sprawl though active lobbying to limit expansion boundaries. 2. Improving public transportation infrastructure, adding extra para-transport services and tightening regulation of private providers. If a fuel tax increase is to be implemented: 1. Make sure that the funds are earmarked for public transit improvements and subsidies instead of going into the common fund. 2. Offer tax rebates to offset the tax increase for car owners who can prove that their car is a necessity as opposed to a luxury. 3. Advertise the heck out of these improvements and get people to take the bus or train. Just some thoughts.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belle Posted April 29, 2005 Share Posted April 29, 2005 Originally posted by Cyclone As to our way of life collapsing, I must have missed it happening during the last fuel protests, what were the symptoms of this catastrophic collapse? Yes, odd that, I wonder where you were? Because it really was terrible. There were shortages of food because shops and supermarkets could not deliver produce to themselves. Emergency vehicles were struggling, even though they were given priority with supplies. Women in labour and old people with dodgy hips etc were having to go in ambulances where a car trip to the hospital would have been okay normally, because they had no fuel, thus using up valuable ambulance time. Schools had to close because teachers could not get to work, which meant that lots of workers who could have perhaps walked to work, had to stop home to look after their children. So some offices and factories had to close too. Old people were not getting their meals on wheels dinners... When you cut off fuel, you cut off the transport network and everyone who needs to go anywhere for any reason. My view is that this protest has nothing to do with fuel and everything to do with making voters cross with the Labour government so that they will vote Conservative. The timing is hardly an accident The man who ran the campaign five years ago stood subsequently as a Tory candidate. Go figure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted April 29, 2005 Share Posted April 29, 2005 funny thing though is that our way of life survived, the country didn't implode, explode or plode in any other way. It was a few days of disruption which didn't herald the end of civilisation as we know it and we all got on with our lives afterwards... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belle Posted April 29, 2005 Share Posted April 29, 2005 Originally posted by Cyclone funny thing though is that our way of life survived, the country didn't implode, explode or plode in any other way. It was a few days of disruption which didn't herald the end of civilisation as we know it and we all got on with our lives afterwards... But that is only because the protestors stopped and the fuel distribution got underway again I think the police were involved somehow If it had gone on for longer it would have done permanent damage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenback Posted April 29, 2005 Share Posted April 29, 2005 Sure, but the point is that it is a dunderhead, pointless protest in the first place. Fuel prices will never, and can never, come down, no matter how many hypocritical Countryside Alliance ("Less taxes, less intereference with the countryside! More subsidies from the city to sustain the countryside!") hooligan-types decide to behave illegally. If the tax burden on fuel was lowered, the deficit would simply have to be made up somewhere else. There would also be more traffic on the roads, more pollution (meaning the government wouldn't hit binding emission targets) and within a shorter amount of time, due to increased demand, oil prices would get back to where they are now in any case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted April 29, 2005 Share Posted April 29, 2005 maybe the government should invest some of the massive amounts they make from fuel (and the amount goes up everytime the oil price goes up, which I'm sure makes GB habby) into cleaner and cheaper fuels. LPG, bio-diesel, research into hydrogen power cells and production etc... Rather than it's current hypocritical stance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redrobbo Posted April 29, 2005 Share Posted April 29, 2005 Originally posted by Greenback Sure, but the point is that it is a dunderhead, pointless protest in the first place. Fuel prices will never, and can never, come down, no matter how many hypocritical Countryside Alliance ("Less taxes, less interference with the countryside! More subsidies from the city to sustain the countryside!") hooligan-types decide to behave illegally. If the tax burden on fuel was lowered, the deficit would simply have to be made up somewhere else. There would also be more traffic on the roads, more pollution (meaning the government wouldn't hit binding emission targets) and within a shorter amount of time, due to increased demand, oil prices would get back to where they are now in any case. Well argued Greenback. Says it all about these futile, pointless protests. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirky Posted May 3, 2005 Share Posted May 3, 2005 Originally posted by craigmason just to let everyone no there is a fuel protest planned for 3rd may when there will be oil refinery blockades and go-slows how did it go? not heard owt about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightrider Posted May 3, 2005 Share Posted May 3, 2005 Originally posted by kirky emptying all the blue bins would be a start they are forever leaving them for stupid reasons,my misis put a plastic container in once by mistake...it was only resting on the top and could easily have been removed but instead they left the whole bin. Yes, I have problems with this. The pick up of the bin is so infrequent that mine quickly fills up (since we only get one between 2 flats and 1 house!!!) and I cant put anything in. I am getting so fed up with mounds of paper in the house I may just throw it in the normal bin (I dont have a car so I cant take it to a recyling center). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youwhatref Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 Sorry to bring this back up gain but was astonished to see a BP charging 90p a litre in Darnall this morning! i'm now looking at £50 to fill my tank! How long until it's £1?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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