Motorists and hauliers at the end of the road
Anyone but the road lobby spindoctors would accept that an increase in costs of a raw material should be borne by the user.
Everything is taxed, but only the road lobby has the audacity to object to taxation when the services they are provided with (roads, etc) are free of charge.
Like fuel, there is a tax on low-cost airline tickets — but the State does not provide planes and airports free of charge. These are paid for in the cost of the ticket.
You claim that “motorists are already feeling the pinch” , but this is belied by the ever increasing volumes of traffic and huge 4x4s — Foxrock tractors — on the roads.
Motorists could easily save money by cutting back on unnecessary journeys or, where possible, using public transport, walking or cycling. In reality, over the long term, the cost of motoring has been steadily declining.
The world is approaching peak oil production. Most major oil fields are severely depleted and increasing costs and technical difficulties are involved in extracting reduced rates of oil from the ground.
New oil fields have relatively low production rates and they are not coming on stream fast enough to keep up with the world’s increasing thirst for oil.
As the Irish transport sector grows inexorably, the country is heading for economic collapse because of its dependency on oil.
As oil shortages develop and oil prices soar, there will be a knock-on effect and crippling inflation.
The Government should make plans based on facts, not on blind faith or the dictates of the road lobby, or the mythology that alternative energy can replace oil.
A Traffic Reduction Bill is needed now. This would mean higher, not lower, costs for road users and reduced car dependency.
Delay, and trying to prop up the haulage industry, will only make the inevitable collapse more apocalyptic.
Michael Job
Reenascreena
Glengarriff
Co Cork
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