How many people do you know who drive unnecessarily?
Most of the people I know view me and my enjoyment of driving to be abnormal. The vast majority of the people on the roads are driving to work, driving *for* work or visiting people.

They are strangling peoples' ability to move around the country without providing a single viable alternative. It's such an obviously shit idea that it's not something that even famous thieves like Berlusconi have seriously considered.

I'm all for weaning people off petrol, but you can't just slap people with massive prices and sit back smugly whilst, ENTIRELY COINCIDENTALLY, your own nest gets lined three foot deep.
( Kroney, Mon 17 Jan 2011, 13:19, 1 reply, 15 years ago)

Everyone drives unnecessarily
Paying through the nose will centre peoples attentions as to whether to make such a journey or not. Global pollution is a big factor for the future of the planet, and our endless obsession with throwing more pollutants into the air is kindof worrying. It wasn't that long ago that people wouldn't leave the area where they were born the entirety of their lives. Dunno I suppose over time public transport will have to be improved, for the present people will just have to think abit .
( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Mon 17 Jan 2011, 13:31, Reply)

Depends on how you define "unnecessarily"
My commute's not exactly unnecessary. Sure, you can say "you should work closer to home". It's easy to say and believe me, I've been trying but in the meantime I'm being made to pay more and more for a journey I have no option but to make. The same situation will be true for the vast majority of people on the road.

This is all largely irrelevant, however. What is relevant is that getting people out of their cars is not the motivation behind the price increases. If it were, alternatives would be made available. They are not. In fact bus services are being cut and no incentives are being given to expand any other public transport service.

The motivation is that the Government want more money. It is convenient to them to dress it up in a manner that makes the public more likely to swallow it and the current vogue issue is the environment.
( Kroney, Mon 17 Jan 2011, 13:39, Reply)

Irrespective of the motivation, the outcome is at least a step in the right direction
I wouldn't say that environmentalism is 'vogue' it's been on the table for the past twenty years and fuck all has been done about it. The public are being forced to do something about their own carbon footprints through their pockets which is the only motivation they understand. Tut-tutting about global pollution and maybe adopting a penguin hasn't cut it to date.
( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Mon 17 Jan 2011, 13:49, Reply)

the important question here is
if I'm supposed to be driving less, how the hell am I supposed to get me and my surfboard to the beach?
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Mon 17 Jan 2011, 13:56, Reply)

Less surfing for Vipros

( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Mon 17 Jan 2011, 14:28, Reply)

that is unacceptable

( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Mon 17 Jan 2011, 14:37, Reply)

The public will move to environmentally sound technology on their own.
The issue is how to do it. The simple fact of the matter is that punishing people won't work. You have to make it economically preferable to them to switch. But in order to do that, there has to be something for them to switch *to*.

And there isn't.
( Kroney, Mon 17 Jan 2011, 14:14, Reply)

This has been coming a long time and nothing has been done to prepare for the inevitable from a succession of governments.
I'm no swampy by any means, however I fully accept the need for the duty. It costs me £130.00 to fill up now :'((
( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Mon 17 Jan 2011, 14:27, Reply)

No, I entirely understand the need.
But you can't just start raising duty and expect everybody to abandon a century of motorised travel and start cycling everywhere. It just isn't going to happen. That's my point, really.

60 quid here, but I have to do it every week.
( Kroney, Mon 17 Jan 2011, 14:39, Reply)