Our adversarial political system, coupled to a five-yearly electoral cycle, is sadly blinkering many politicians and commentators to one stark fact. Namely that this planet has finite reserves of fossil-derived fuel.
By the time it runs out, alternative transport systems and fuels must be in place. Otherwise much of life as we know it will not be feasible for our descendants. Reducing fuel tax now, for short-term political popularity, will merely accelerate this process.
The balancing act must be to preserve or reduce existing levels of petrol usage, while ensuring that infrastructure expenditure on public transport, walking and cycling is increased. Also it is vital that research into alternative fuels is accelerated. These processes must occur on a global scale.
In the UK, revenues from petrol tax and Vehicle Excise Duty go straight into the Exchequer's general revenues. Perhaps it would be acceptable to today's motoring public, if some of this income was ringfenced for the infrastructure improvements and research, which I have highlighted above. If other rich nations do likewise, we can begin to plan sensibly now, to avoid chaos for future generations.
Paul F Hepworth
Windmill Rise,
Holgate, York.
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