Are high fuel prices a good thing when they can clear our roads so efficiently?

Question

The number of traffic jams on Britain's roads has fallen by 12% in the past year because of high fuel prices, the credit crunch and the economic slowdown, new research shows.

Answer 1

Well, high food prices are a "good" thing because they clear off excess people???  the folks in Mexico, and Egypt who rioted recently don't think high fuel prices are a good thing because they lead to high food prices and whereas your roads are what are cleared, it is their families that they have to watch die.  No, it is not a good thing.  

Answer 2

It's not always the people with the greatest need who can afford the fuel price increases.

Answer 3

Quite simply - NO !!!!.Obviously you haven't got a car and have to pay the bills at the petrol station.

Answer 4

In a word - No.

Answer 5

Ah, if it were only that simple.  Petroleum is the basis for many of our industries, from synthetic fabric to plastics to candles (eek, no kidding).  It also costs a lot of money to create those products, especially industries like printing (watch the price of your magazines go up).  We needed the wakeup call, but we should do it willingly, not be forced into it.  

Answer 6

No because what we are seeing is the knock on effects with high food prices because haulage companies transport those goods, if they put up their prices that cost goes to the consumer. It also means that those people who don;t travel i.e holidaymakers to destinations in UK, means the hotels, and tourist places are losing out and going bust.

Then the work force who have to use their car are being punished for what is essentially the governments fault, huge amounts of money is tax on fuel that goes directly to the government. I think that if you work it out overall we are the poorer and will go on getting more so, and our prices for food, heating, etc is going to go up all the more.

a friend who is a haulier has told me that many haulage companies have already gone out of business because they cannot afford to fill up, that means they are now unemployed, a burden on the state, and that is just another knock on effect of high fuel costs. I think to say that it is ok because there are less cars on the road is  completely shortsighted.

to add to that many elderly who live outside of the big cities often use cars because the transport systems are rubbish, and i know only too well that is the case. If those people cannot drive and there is no local shop then you are seeing people suffer.

Answer 7

and then the shops start emptying and it people cant afford to get to work etc  

Answer 8

Unfortunately, high fuel prices are not the solution to our congestion woes.

High fuel prices have brought misery to many households & businesses due to the need to increase the prices of essential & luxury goods.

The current reduction in traffic is mainly due to the school holidays. Come September 1st, it will be business as usual.

If you want to reduce congestion etc, you need to do the following:

1) Reduce or eliminate non-essential car use in the rush hour eg pensioners.

2) Provide decent, high quality free school buses for kids.

3) Build more cycle friendly routes and allow bicycles to be carried on trains.

4) Stop shopping centres opening before 10am.  No shops open means no shoppers on the road.

5) Provide good, safe park and ride schemes for car drivers.

6) Make more small cars and give people incentives to use them.

7) Reduce the extortionate cost of public transport.

8) Provide more local employment.

On a final note, the majority of people who travel into cities & towns in order to work, park their cars up for seven to nine hours daily.  During this time who is then causing the congestion?

Answer 9

I do not know what they researched

but I don't think there is a decrease

in traffic, and high fuel and other high

costs only lead to an increase in crime

so the only person to benefit is the crook

and not joe public, the crook gets fined

(if caught) may'be £100 for stealing a

a grands worth of fuel, so who benefits.?

Answer 10

Ask the truck drivers who deliver food to the shops, who pass on the increase to the shopkeepers who then pass on the increase to you the shopper.

Answer 11

no its a very bad thing :

high fuel price

means cost more to transport goods

raising food prices

and think about high fuel means more to have like companies deliever stuff so they put prices up and up

Answer 12

I don't know about all this really.

I think it's great if more people are using public transport, and especially if it cuts down on people making silly little journeys for which they could easily walk or take a bus.  We all know the problems associated with driving (ie environmental) and that we should be cutting down - it's just making people do it.

The problem is the cost of public transport.  I always use it where possible, and always think before using the car.  The only exception is for work.  My job is 30 miles from home, and I have to drive.  It costs me about six pounds a day in petrol.  To get the train would cost 18.50 EVERY day, and take two hours.  Clearly, that's ridiculous.  I would happily get the train or bus if it was to take an hour and cost a little bit more than driving - it'd be a great incentive if it cost less!  But there is no way I can spend nearly half of my earnings on train fare getting to work, and that's what it would be.

The government really need to sort themselves out.  People cutting out car use and switching to public transport would be great, but with there being so few trains in certain places and the cost being so high, it's just not feasable, so with rising petrol costs, what are we expected to do?