🚀 go-pugleaf

In article gaa@mailhub.scitec.com.au, ramsesy@rd.scitec.com.au (Ramses Youhana) writes:
>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 
<snip>
>> 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).
>

I agree. And what's more, letting aside the issue of taxes on fuel, there has to
be a better system of public transport in the cities! And it must be free to 
attract as many people as possible, yes havyly subsidised. Take just a small part
of the fuel tax revenue and you get a super public transport.
I drive 10,000 km/y  just to commute to work and would much rather use public
transport. But, I would waste ALMOST 3 HOURS A DAY compared to 40 minutes.
The planners in Perth should be made responsible for a PT system that works
only for a small minority. If you have to cross the city north/south they
even expect you to walk for 10 minutes to connect between train and bus! 
Thats not good enough. If I produce such a pathetic result at work I most
likely lose my job.....


>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.
>