My paper tells me that petrol/fuel sales have fallen by 20%, allegedly, because of rising prices.
Who are these people that can do without their cars?
Well they certainly don’t live in rural areas as I do, where buses are no alternative.
Nor can they be Mums with multiple children - have you ever tried a combination of toddlers, pushchairs and the like on buses, tube trains or [joke] bicycles…
And they can’t be part time workers (mostly females) whose hours rarely coincide with others so they are less likely to be able to car share…
The same is true for those of us who also care for elderly relatives or neighbours - how do you get an elderly person to a distant hospital or surgery without it costing them a fortune in taxis - even more than it used to now.
And if you live on your own and want to go out at night, women rely on their car for safety reasons.
Hopefully any such fuel save is environmentally-minded people working from home, being able to walk/bike to work and now feeling the pinch and those of us using technology to save on unnecessary travel. I am surprised to hear how many employers still don’t trust their staff to work as hard at home (despite technology showing what work is done)… there’s a mountain to climb here.
Yes I honestly do believe that most women need their cars more than most men and I think that most women drive fuel efficiently too. So what’s the choice for us? Cough up or stay at home I suspect.
I am sad to see the price of diesel so high to almost negate the mileage and CO2 advantage over petrol. And the unexpected and unfair hike in VED rates for those of us driving popular older cars for sound financial reasons is nothing short of scandalous…
And as the price of fuel rises, the % tax rate remains the same ie richer government coffers by stealth.
Is there a bright light or a dead end at the end of the motoring tunnel? I can’t see where we’re headed yet.
Feeling glum, need a chum.
FOXY Steph
Tags: the price of motoring
