Cian writes
'Its never going to happen, but (as a highly taxed Brit) I think that petrol in the US is way too cheap, given the costs to the environment, declining reserves, etc. Hell I live in London, owning a car doesn't make any sense whatsoever. I can't even drive.'
Well, I guess owning a car makes no sense in London if you can't drive. But if I want to drop off my daughter at the nursery, or do the weekly shop, I have to tell you, the car's the thing.
Car journeys represent something like 85 to 90 per cent of all journeys in the UK - and 'all journeys' includes those by foot. For the rail network to absorb just a tenth of car journeys it would have to more than double in size. But the actual trend is towards a contraction of the rail network, because it cannot attract the custom necessary to pay for itself.
Car drivers pay road tax, petrol tax and now mooted congestion charges. They are subsidising the middle class professionals who commute by rail from the South East to London's financial district. As has already been pointed out, the petrol - sorry gasoline - tax is a regressive tax on working families. -- James Heartfield Sustaining Architecture in the Anti-Machine Age is available at GBP19.99, plus GBP5.01 p&p from Publications, audacity.org, 8 College Close, Hackney, London, E9 6ER. Make cheques payable to 'Audacity Ltd'. www.audacity.org