UK charity Sustrans is urging government to go ahead with the planned fuel price rise in tomorrow’s budget.
The hundreds of millions of pounds generated should then be invested in helping those suffering from high fuel costs by providing alternatives to car travel such as improving local environments to encourage more walking and cycling, and better public transport.
The charity says the current transport system is failing the quarter of all households that don’t have access to a car as well as those people who rely heavily on their cars, such are rural communities.
Jason Torrance, Sustrans' Policy Manager says: “Government must maintain the planned increase and ring-fence fuel duty revenue to a fund a cross departmental approach. including a review of the planning system to favour sustainable transport and improving public space to make it easier for people to walk and cycle.”
A car-centric transport system costs the country £10billion per year as a result of congestion, and this will rise as traffic levels continue to increase. It is predicted that over the next twenty-five years traffic will grow by 43 per cent from 2003 levels.
Jason continues: “Significant investment into alternatives to car travel would help millions of people currently penalised by high fuel costs. Rather than short-term measures to temporarily reduce the cost of fuel we need a long term strategy to make our transport system more efficient, help our economy recover from the effects of congestion, pollution and, ultimately, wean us off oil.”
Sustrans suggests:
· Increasing investment in sustainable travel.
The planned April 1 fuel duty increase is estimated to raise £540 million. Investing this money in local sustainable transport solutions, such as improving walking and cycling routes, would enable the government to almost double the size of the Local Sustainable Transport Fund.
- Keeping planned fuel duty rise in place and invest the revenue in improving transport choices available to all.
Increasing everyone’s travel choices would help our economy and give people a much needed alternative to car travel.
- Reinstate investment in getting young people back into work.
Success from previous initiatives, such as the Future Jobs Fund, could provide much needed employment experience for young people, including working on projects that help people get about by bike and on foot.
Source: Sustrans
