🚀 go-pugleaf

Lori and Daniel Bowen (lbowen@ariel.ucs.unimelb.EDU.AU) wrote:
> jeremiah@srm.blamac.com.au (Warwick Rendell) writes:
> >In article <4fpm7p$ema@preeda.internex.net.au>, maddison@connexus.apana.org.au 
> >says...
> >>Regardless of this, by far the biggest predator on the consumer with
> >>regards to petrol prices is our beloved Government!
> >>
> >>Why doesn't anyone care that petrol prices at the pump are about 50%
> >>tax? (I don't have the _exact_ figures with me on hand. The data is
> >>available from the Australian Institute of Petroleum.)
> >>
> >>Aren't people aware of this fact, or what?

> So what's the problem?
> Lower fuel prices means more people drive, means more pollution. Subsidies
> for roads and their associated costs (policing, medical, pollution, etc
> etc) are far too low anyway.

That's not true.  The cost of petrol is more now than it was a few years ago, yet
more people drive cars now than they did back then.

The problem is that too many people are reliant on cars for their main means of
transport, whether it be due to a lack of public transport to/from where
they are going, or they don't like public transport or that public transport
may be inconvenient for them or they may feel that they lose their freedom
without their car.  For me it is cheaper, quicker and more convenient to use my
car to get to/from work.  Putting up the cost of petrol by a few cents a litre
will have no effect on changing their minds (or mine for that matter).

The truth of the matter is that the government uses the environment issue as
a political tool to gain political power.  The extra money they get from the
petrol taxes should go into improving public transport (as well as the roads),
and maybe then more people will start using public transport.

I would also be happier if the police start doing random pollution checks on cars
(especially the ones blowing out heaps of smoke) and getting them off the road, in
order to reduce the overall amount of pollution.  Heavy fines here may also encourage
those people with cars that blow lots of smoke to get their cars fixed.

Ramses.