| Environmental issues have never been higher on the | | | | A couple of new road charges have been brought in. |
| agenda than today and with this has come concerted | | | | The first, to be introduced in Richmond-upon-Thames, |
| pressure on the motorist. Deemed as one of the most | | | | is that homeowners will be charged a fee to park their |
| highly polluting sources of pollution, the question has | | | | vehicle outside their homes, the value of the charge |
| now fallen on how to shift people away from their | | | | depending on the type of car they own. Residents' |
| cars. Initiated by the Stern Review, a number of | | | | parking restrictions, initially introduced to help |
| additional schemes have either been introduced or are | | | | homeowners park outside their homes, are suddenly |
| currently being planned, leading to the question of what | | | | being turned against the very people they were meant |
| does the future hold for the motorist? | | | | to help. |
| The Stern Review stated one overriding conclusion, | | | | The London Congestion charge has already risen to |
| that the world must act now on climate change or | | | | £8 a day from its original £5 a day, and |
| face devastating consequences. Unfortunately it also | | | | proposals were unveiled recently to charge so-called |
| appears that this action is going to lead to devastating | | | | "gas-guzzlers" £25 a day to drive into Central |
| consequences for motorists. Various proposals in the | | | | London. An extortionate amount by anyone's |
| Stern Review were suggested, including introducing a | | | | standards. |
| fuel-price stabilizer, meaning when fuel prices they will | | | | However, something has to be done to protect the |
| never be able to fall again, and per mile road charging. | | | | environment so what's wrong with making a start and |
| Taking a deeper look into each proposal uncovers | | | | pricing polluting motorists and vehicles off the road? It's |
| fundamental flaws. Artificially setting prices has never | | | | certainly hard to argue against the fact that some cars |
| made economic sense and furthermore, the fuel price | | | | do pollute large amounts of greenhouse gases and |
| stabilizer would simply have the effect of desensitizing | | | | they should be discouraged. But isn't the real fact to |
| people from changes in the fuel price. Consider a huge | | | | emerge from all this that the car driver is simply an |
| rise in fuel prices which subsequently fall but this fall is | | | | easy target? Infrastructure is already in place whereby |
| not reflected in the price. People become used to this | | | | large additional taxes can be introduced whilst many |
| new higher price and when they see that it stays at | | | | people have little choice but to use their car, meaning |
| this level for many months they become used to it, | | | | that the revenue generated from these taxation |
| never lowering their consumption, even if fuel prices | | | | schemes will be significant. Even the Stern Review |
| then begin to gradually rise. | | | | undermines its argument against the motorist by |
| Then there's per mile road charging. As it stands | | | | producing figures showing that transport is responsible |
| people are charged on a per mile basis - the further | | | | for 14% of all the emissions of greenhouse gases in |
| one drives the more fuel they use and the more they | | | | the UK. Transport that includes car travel, lorries, buses, |
| pay. Is this not a ploy to generate even more revenue | | | | trains, ships and aircrafts. In addition, the argument is |
| and prepare for a time when cars no longer run on | | | | that economic growth will suffer if we fail to act now. |
| fuel? If everyone was to suddenly switch to electric | | | | This simply neglects the effect of imposing huge taxes |
| cars the government would lose a vital source of | | | | on motorists, seriously inhibiting people's ability to travel |
| revenue. Per mile road charging could fill in the shortfall, | | | | to work and help the economy, and this is all without |
| brought in under the umbrella of concern for the | | | | even mentioning a certain rapidly growing country - |
| environment. | | | | China. |