'How much should petrol cost?' Poll discussion

bootsysmummy

I voted for 80p a litre, but really would be happy up to £1. I need a car for work as I work in construction and the sites I work on are rarely within reach of buses & trains and I am lucky to get some money towards car running costs. I know that many others are not so lucky. I do feel that the tax on fuel & VAT should be used to fund the road network, viable alternatives and subsidise public transport for all, but I'm sure that is not where my 80 odd pence a litre goes! Therefore I am not happy to pay. But pay I must. I just try to keep my car as tuned and serviced as possible and to drive as carefully as I can.
I agree with those who suggest increasing the cost of/tax on things like alcohol as non essentials

stevemcol

Not a popular vote but I think the price is about right. I went for £1.40.
Setting the price high reminds us that petrol won't last forever and that it is damaging to the environment.
As Martin points out, the tax burden will have to go elsewhere, or further cuts will have to be made.

Bozz28

How much would petrol cost if it had just followed the average cost of living in the uk...say over last 10 years?

I voted for 90p, you know that even if it was, it would be back up over a quid by next year.

I'd stick income tax up a bit to compensate (and combine NI for a single deduction).

€1 a litre is tax now in Greece, most expensive in Europe, ouch.

rag31

A couple of points I would like to add.

If public transport was prolific, good quality and affordable I would ditch my car instantly. I live in rural Leicestershire and for my family the cost of public transport would be £230 per 4 weeks for a bus that does not operate after 6pm or on a Sunday. We would have to radically change our life because the bus goes through our village to the nearest city and that is it. A 20 minute car journey to anywhere else is upwards of 2.5-3 hours by bus. So, as it stands the infra structure makes it very difficult, financially impossible (for us on a low income)

Secondly on a low income means we are these cretins mentioned above with our inefficient cars. I spent weeks researching the most fuel efficient 'greenest' car we could buy when our last one died recently. Our budget was £750. This really doesnt put you into the price bands of efficient cars but it is not out of choice!! I would love a prius or leaf but we are broke.

Petrol costs are crippling me at the moment and I just pray that thete is some people-action soon to drive them down bevause I have not really any other option.

Anyone know of any campaigns?

allan2006

wonders how much tax the treasury actually makes out of a motorist......

Vat when you buy a car,
cartax to keep it on the road
IPT tax when you insure it
And 80p for every litre of fuel u buy, sounds like the govt onto a good thing, no wonder they keep the trains and buses in such a state !

If we have to pay such high taxes to run a car, they could at least use the revenue to provide a decent public transport system most people dont have any alternative to a car.

jaibaby

allan2006 wrote: »

they could at least use the revenue to provide a decent public transport system most people dont have any alternative to a car.

I am one of those without a car. Not for long, I hope, as I am due to do my test in a few weeks.

I rely on buses to get my children to school. We have to catch two buses there, if we miss one of the buses, or they are late / taken off, we have to get a taxi.

Now, before anyone moans, yes, there are two schools closer to me. But I wanted my children to go to the school I went to, a school which has excellent reports, and the classes are not overflowing.

I spend £35+ a week on bus fares. £2.75 for a day ticket (as many buses) for me, and £2.20 x 2 for the girls day tickets. In the summer that will go down, as we will walk there and back as much as possible.

Basically, the buses don't run as they should. I have had numerous arguments with the supervisors in the bus station because buses have turned up late / gone early / not turned up at all.

I can not wait until I can finally get my own set of wheels. Just so I know my girls won't be late for school because of buses missed out etc. However, I will not use the car to go 5 meters down the road to the shop, like others I know!!!

They always said the price would rise to deter people from using their cars. I agree, they need to sort the local transport out first! But with high prices of petrol, people will not be able to afford to drive. Which will therefore achieve what they wanted.

As for whoever said driving wasn't a luxury, how? Ok, some disabled people rely on it. In those cases, it should be free. But, in general, it is a luxury!

welshman01

"IF PETROL TAX WAS CUT OTHER TAXES WOULD RISE "

I don't think Taxes are going down, as petrol tax goes up. Correct me if i'm wrong please.

rag31

As for whoever said driving wasn't a luxury, how? Ok, some disabled people rely on it. In those cases, it should be free. But, in general, it is a luxury!

Erm, it isn't a 'luxury' if you don't live somewhere with buses that take you to where you need to go. So pretty much anywhere outside of urban areas then, which is quite a lot of the population.

With work places no longer near where you live (I have to travel wherever I can get work, being restricted to bus route only would mean I wouldn't be able to do 95% of the jobs I get plus the problem of carrying all my equipment which I couldn't do anyway on a bus) means that a car is a necessity, unless they sort out the ridiculous public transport system.

31March

I'd like to see more people living close to where they work - like we used to do. Then long commutes, snow days and the stress of being deep in the ratrace would be reduced. So I'd put the cost of petrol up.
I also agree with Pmarmalade about getting rid of car tax and putting it on to the price of petrol - then those who drive the most (or have least efficient cars) pay the most.

lazer

I think there should be a tax rebate on petrol costs for getting to work as the cost of fuel can price people out of taking jobs over 10 mile away
This could be set at a set amount of duty per mile refunded, with the amount regulary updated based on current fuel - based on average mpg.

Also - Fuel Duty, should be frozen at the current rate (in absolute terms) and not keep increasing when the price increases.

Finally VAT should be charged on the actual cost of the fuel (not on the fuel plus duty - as this is effectively putting tax on a tax)