Soaring Petrol Prices.

[nedflanders]

Why is it that nobody seems to be bothered that the cost of petrol has risen to almost �1 a litre of diesel?  Are we all so rich that we find this a fair price? Gordon Brown must be pi$$ing himself laughing thinking he has won the lottery! Surely the hauliers must be at breaking point either that or inflation is about to rocket?

[David H]

I am extremely bothered. As I don't drive a truck the best I could do is either join one of the (non-existent) Motorway protests if it passes my way, or join a (non-existent) daily or weekly boycott where no one buys petrol and just stays at home if they've run out, thus messing up the supplier's turnover possibly encouraging them to drop their prices.

Apart from that all I do is post complaints in forums encouraging others to pull their fingers out just as you have, and we musn't give up, our whole economy will soon go down the toilet after the punitive level of tax and profit made on oil at all stages down the production line.

[flump1]

To I have the result of a receent survey  answer nedflanders point about hauliers being at breaking point,yes they are. My husband is an owner driver and the truck does 9 miles to the gallon which is comparable with most trucks.There is not much other than the air we breath, gas, water and electricity that is not at some time transported by truck.Hauliers do not want the public to suffer by way of blockades etc, yet they are fed up, especially when their European counterparts can drive British roads filled with fuel not taxed as ours  thereby driving for free.There is a national shortage of HGV drivers at present and sadly I can see this figure increasing.

[Mortartube]

Jno, the roads aren't free, we pay road tax on top of the exorbidant fuel taxes to use the roads.

[wf]

I think the main problem is that a lot of people actually WANT to pay more tax, in some strange misbelief it  makes a difference to their so beloved "public services"... ..... everyone seems to also have erroneousely missed a fundamental point about the fuel tax... yes,  duty IS fixed, ie +75p or something, hence, 20p + 75p = 95p.... or soon 50p+75p=�1.25... but there is also the VAT as well. ON TOP so, actually, refering to a comment earlier... Gordon DOES directly benefit from the increase in the cost of crude... as although his fuel duty is fixed, the VAT will actually mean he gets MORE per litre.... does no-one stand up and say that actually it is the WORKING CLASSES who are worse off? and that middle classes are more likely to have their fuel paid, or be running brand new Tdi engined cars that do 55mpg+... the working classes will be running less efficient seondhand cars, maybe doing 35 mpg (example secondhand petrol mondeo)... there is no way someone on a low income could afford the �8k for decent tdi golf for example. The Upper classes are laughing, as fuel prices have NO EFFECT on them at all... I mean, if you are driving a �50k Rangerover, then the depreciation on that far exceeds what you could even spend on petrol... e.g depreciation about �15k for first year, �10k for second.... even at 15mpg and �5 per gallon... you will only be spending �5k per year on petrol.... nothing compared to the actualy cost of your �50k rangerover, or �70k Porsche Cayenne..... So actually, although some of these 'friends of the earth' say that high fuel prices are a good thing... let them get a reality check... high fuel prices hurt poor people more... and have no effect on the rich.... in fact, it is the ultimate form of snobbery.... high fuel prices keeps poor people off the road, to allow the rich to drive their �50k 10mpg Rangerovers on less congested roads.... wheres the logic in that???

[wf]

Similarly, when fuel hits �1.50 litre... how many people will be able to afford the new selection of 'hybrid' cars and electric powered cars??? yes... okay, they ARE available... IF you have the money.... as long as you don't mid spending �40k on a two seater car that has about 100 miles range, though can cruise at 60mph.... about �30k of that price made up of advanced state of the art high capacity batteries?? I can't see many working class familes wanting to shell out �40k on some exotic advanced electric car...

 

even LPG conversion are costly.... up to �2k to convert a car... okay, if you have a �25k Audi V6 then it would be worth doing.... and halving your fuel costs... but not to spend that much on your 10 year old mondeo...

[wf]

also note there IS a hybrid BMW X5 being developed... but again... only existing chelsea tractor owners will be able to afford them... Oh, even a hybrid Landrover Freelander is being tested.... to be marketed against the EXISTING hybrid Lexus 4x4... (that costs over �35k...)

Luckily, I have a bus stops at the top of my road, but even the cost of that is going up... �3 per day, for a journey that is total 50 miles return..... only slightly cheaper than running that 55mpg Golf Tdi that costs �15k new to buy...)...