'How much should petrol cost?' Poll discussion

dzug1

Teribus wrote: »

As for where the tax goes - get the "winnaeworks" out of the pub and out into the streets keeping them clean. Time to change attitudes, so that those who currently sit on their backside and let the general public pay for them now have to go out and give something back to the country for they money they are given. PLEASE NOTE THIS IS NOT AIMED AT THOSE WHO CANNOT WORK FOR WHATEVER REASON - SUCH AS DISABILITY, CARING FOR A RELATIVE ETC. AND IT ALSO DOESN'T COUNT FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN MADE REDUNDANT AND CANNOT FIND A NEW JOB. IT IS SOLELY AIMED AT THOSE WHO BELIEVE IT IS THEIR RIGHT TO BE HANDED MONEY FROM THE TAX PAYER WHILE THEY SIT AROUND IN THE HOUSE/PUB/ETC AND GIVE NOTHING WHATSOEVER BACK TO THE COUNTRY

-T

So how do you decide who falls into what category? And which category do those who cannot work because they are too thick to do a job fall?

Gemmzie

Locally, people are giving up work because they can't afford to go to work anymore - how on Earth is this helpful to the invididual or the economy as a whole?! There isn't any reliable public transport

Jo_F

And of course there are some, that feel they don't have to pay for their fuel at all, like the gang that siphoned my partner's truck tank last night :mad:

Well done to the local police, who caught them in the act, managed to retrive all but around 30 to 50 litres (those were lost into the ditch), keep the thieves vehicle, but unfortunately the toerags themselves managed to get away on foot across some fields.

nomoneytoday

If petrol goes down, what goes up instead?
VAT? Income tax? Excise duties?

callum9999

Is it meant to be news that motorists would prefer their petrol to be cheaper? I'd imagine people would prefer everything to be cheaper (I do anyway, why wouldn't you?), doesn't mean it should be.

toerymer

I haven't had time to read the whole thread so I apologise if this has been said before.

I have no objection to fuel being taxed at a reasonable rate but the current prices are ridiculous. I have a 11 year old car and I would love to get a newer and more efficient model, however, with the current price increases my finances are stretched to breaking point.

From an environmental perspective and also to benefit the economy, couldn't tax be reduced on fuel and increased on gas guzzlers? That way many people could afford to / have a reason to by a better car on finance?

I simply can't afford a new car at the moment and I dread the day that my old banger finally gives up the ghost. I live and work in the country so public transport simply isn't an option. I have to drive to get the kids to school, as there are no buses or footpaths for that matter. Don't get me wrong I love living in the country but it's getting out of hand.

sobrique

I'm going to go against the trend, and say that I'm fine with steadily escalating prices on petrol - the money has to come from somewhere, and as a country, we're very greedy for fossil fuels.

As such, I'd be prepared to support an increased price in the cost of fuel - £2/litre, or more perhaps?

But with a caveat: Lets get rid of 'road tax' and other taxes applied to cars (presumably the insurance is taxed too?). Perhaps congestion charge too?

However, at the same time, I'd want to see a massive reduction in the cost of public transport. It is absurd that a train fare from Coventry to London is >£100 at peak times -when even with very expensive fuel, it's probably only about £20 to take a car (even before you fill it with people!)

I would also want serious expansion of the public transport network - I don't use a car now because I want to. I use it because it's significantly more expensive and time consuming to get anywhere by public transport.

verloren

michaels wrote: »

However motoring is currently taxed far beyond the total of all these costs because it appears to be an easy target in that it is in the main an essential for most users and thus even very high levels of taxation do not significantly reduce consumption and tax revenue. The taxation is virtually impossible to avoid (unlike ciggies and booze) and there is a 'moral' side to the argument specifically amongst many urban 'opinion formers' for whom motoring is 'evil' as it is environmentally damaging and unegalitarian.

Overall conclusion - motoring should be taxed but it is already considerably over taxed and it is likely to get worse.

It's possible, of course, that motoring is over taxed, but I don't believe the points you've put forth support that. You missed out, for example, the costs to the NHS directly of motoring, at almost £10 billion. Policing (£3 billion) should also be included, as should pollution (£20+ billion). Pretty quickly it appears that motoring is effectively subsidized by other taxation.

In fact it's not quite so simple, as there are many concrete benefits that motoring bring (such as being able to assign employment more efficiently) as well as more nebulous benefits such as improved quality of life. But to say it is over taxed is unproven at best.

sobrique

Motoring does provide benefits - a flexible workforce is a good thing. But at the same time, there's some stuff we still do _because_ we have the flexibility of a car.
Like: Go into the office for 9am every day, and leave at 17:30.

Telecommuting and flexible working helps fit transport in around work. I want to see more of that.
I want to see more options for getting about - it really is crazy just how many one passenger cars there are on the 'daily commute'. I would really like employers to be having to think about that (and not in a way the degrades quality of life).

Cycling isn't an option for everyone - what I'd also like to see is an 'easy access' car scheme - because I've been a 'non car owner'. I could live without a car for commuting, subject to their being provision for my cycling.

What I couldn't live without it for, is the ability to go and get a carload of shopping, or to go away on holiday/to events. (I do long weekends away quite regularly).
If I could sell my car, and reasonably be able to get a hire car or pool car on demand, then that would suit me quite well. As it is though, I have to suck up the overhead of car ownership, and that in turn means it's much more cost effective.

The 'cost of fuel' isn't the only thing to argue - I spend around £80/week at the moment, and I have no choice in the matter.
Tax goes to the country, in lieu of other taxes. Fair enough - otherwise it would have to come some other way, and disincentivising driving I do think is good - for those still on the roads, it means less traffic!.

I would like to see 'consolidated transport policy' though - some manner of 'mobility support scheme' that gives access to cycles (and support, such as lockers/showers all over the place), public transport (subsidised) and car access (hire car style, but again ad-hoc and for 'just a few hours'. And mix well with pushing companies to be flexible in their attitude to working patterns - flexible working/telecommuting, and most importantly of all, factoring in travel times to the 'working day'. (This is the biggest for me. If I spend an hour in the car, it's liable to be 2-3 on the bus, and that makes my working day longer)

Then pay for all that out of steadily increasing fuel costs, and I'd be happy.

[Deleted User]

Using currency exchange rates as at 18 February 2011 quoted in local currency and UK pence equivalent.
Source of overseas price comparisons: European prices - European Road Information Centre (Geneva), and based on figures as at 18 February 2011. USA prices - Energy Information Administration, US Dept. of Energy – as at 14 February 2011.

FUEL PRICES IN EUROPE AND THE USA

Local Currency per litre UK pence per litre
Country/ Currency/ Unleaded /Diesel /Unleaded £'s/ Diesel £'s
Austria Euro 1.30 1.28 108.95 107.61
Belgium Euro 1.56 1.39 131.06 116.52
Bulgaria Leva 2.36 2.47 101.42 106.14
Czech Republic Czech Koruna 33.50 32.80 115.09 112.69
Denmark Danish Krone 11.82 10.86 133.29 122.47
Finland Euro 1.50 1.31 125.85 109.88
France Euro 1.60 1.40 134.59 118.03
Germany Euro 1.47 1.27 123.83 107.10
Greece Euro 1.59 1.39 133.92 116.94
Netherlands Euro 1.65 1.36 138.96 114.58
Hungary Forint 360.00 360.00 112.18 112.18
Ireland Euro 1.40 1.33 117.78 111.81
Italy Euro 1.47 1.35 123.24 113.74
Luxembourg Euro 1.24 1.15 103.91 96.51
Malta Euro 1.31 1.21 110.13 101.72
Estonia Euro 1.21 1.25 101.47 104.83
NorwayKrone 13.58 13.12 147.00 142.03
Latvia Lats 0.84 0.85 100.36 101.07
Lithuania Litas 4.42 4.14 107.59 100.78
Poland Zloty 4.89 4.69 104.95 100.66
Slovakia Euro 1.38 1.26 116.18 106.01
Slovenia Euro 1.28 1.24 107.52 103.99
Portugal Euro 1.50 1.32 126.18 110.80
Spain Euro 1.28 1.25 107.61 105.08
Sweden Swedish Krona 13.48 13.64 129.48 131.02
Switzerland Swiss Francs 1.71 1.84 110.98 119.42
United States Dollars 0.8296 0.93 51.16 57.58

In many EU countries you pay just over a quid a litre.
A litre of diesel costs just 96.5p in Luxembourg.


An oil rich country like Norway, have Europe's, (possibly the world's) highest fuel price.
Does that make sense?!