Fuel prices MEGATHREAD

[spindrift]

So you think the solution is to pass the costs on to the Police, NHS and other essential services (such as the distribution of food) through a blanket increase in fuel which profits the same oil producers/distributors who also have massive interests in the very automotive industry you are complaining of?

 

There is a good case that society would function just as well with less vehicles on the road and using less fuel, but if you think increased profits for global corporations and oppresiive OPEC regimes is where the solution lies, you haven't really thought it through.

 

Road tolls rather than increased fuel costs would mean the money would go back to the taxpayer rather than the oil and car companies.

[spindrift]

On the costs of RTCs, there are plenty of cyclists involved in RTCs (blame can be either way, we've all seen bad driving from both groups of road users). So blaming motorists entirely for those costs is a rather one-sided view IMO.

 

Very, very few:

 

In 88.9% of cases, the cyclist had been travelling in a safe/legal manner prior to the collision/near miss. Most happened at or near a junction (70.3%) and most were caused by sudden lane changes by the motorist, with sideswipe the most frequent cause (40.7%).

 

The motorist was judged at fault in the majority of events (87%), and 83.3% of drivers didn't realise the danger they had put the cyclist in – or at least didn't show any reaction

 

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/drivers-at-fault-in-majority-of-cycling-accidents-28489

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/ ... ents-study

 

"A tiny proportion of accidents involving cyclists are caused by riders jumping red lights or stop signs, or failing to wear high-visibility clothing and use lights, a government-commissioned study has discovered"

 

"With adult cyclists, police found the driver solely responsible in about 60%-75% of all cases, and riders solely at fault 17%-25% of the time."

[perplexed]

I think this bloke is trying to wind everyone up.

 

True, and he's not even very good at it. He's a bit, well...

[spooky3]

Road tolls rather than increased fuel costs would mean the money would go back to the taxpayer rather than the oil and car companies.

 

I've liked this suggestion for a good number of years!

 

Makes sense, but as with bridge toll increases, there can be some backlashes (for a short while anyway!)

[donkey]

Road tolls rather than increased fuel costs would mean the money would go back to the taxpayer rather than the oil and car companies.

 

That's true, but there isn't going to be enough slack in the economy to impose further inflationary charges on motoring unless something is done to counter the arbitrary fuel prices set by OPEC and 'the market.'

 

Where there are road tolls, it usually goes to a private company. If we want to put more money made from motoring back into society, we are going to have to first take a bigger share from 'private enterprise.' Allowing them to make further profits from our roads will not achieve this aim.

 

Also, if you want to reduce harm to the environment from motoring through increased costs on the motorist, surely it should be targeted at non essential road use, rather than across the board measures which get filtered down to everybody through further price increases on essential goods and services?

[DaFoot]

Something I stumbled across in my news reading today:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/prepare-for-fuel-shortages-union-warns-of-blockades-2185157.html

[LardyBoy]

 

VED is emissions based so cyclists pay the same as any other vehicle in that class.

 

Its only been that way for the past decade or so . brfore then EVERY car , van and 4x4 , regardless of engine size paid the same amount of VED.

 

So would you have been happy to pay the same as every other road user then ?

 

I very much doubt it as you are of the opinion that cyclists should have free use of the heighways .

[spindrift]

Its only been that way for the past decade or so . brfore then EVERY car , van and 4x4 , regardless of engine size paid the same amount of VED.

 

So would you have been happy to pay the same as every other road user then ?

 

I very much doubt it as you are of the opinion that cyclists should have free use of the heighways .

 

Cyclists pay tax, same as anyone else. Cyclists have never paid road tax because they do not damage the roads, they reduce congestion and make the roads safer.

[LardyBoy]

Bicycles also take up minimal space on the roadway and have a minimal effect on congestion. This is why bicycles don't pay road tax and nor should they have to.

 

No less space than motorcyles , who HAVE to pay VED.

 

Based on your theory , should motorcycles be exempt from VED .?

 

Personally , again based on your theory , push cycles should have to pay the same as motorcyles, as they take up the same amount of space as them .

[Rupert_Baehr]

It was 10 years ago since the last protests when the price of fuel went through 70p a litre.

Amazing to think it is now 1.25p a litre and nobody is doing anything about it.

On every litre sold 80 pence of it is TAX we are getting well and truly ripped off.

 

Where would you put the tax?

 

If you took the tax off petrol, where would you put it?

 

On cigarettes?