Gas Prices

[darkcryst]

I spoke to my dad earlier, and he brought up an terrifying point for all those people in the USA who are worried about $4 gasoline....

Currently the price in the UK is 1.11GBP per litre. That works out as $8.30 a US gallon...

...the UK isn't really that much more expensive than the rest of the world. Maybe 1.50 of that is the extra tax that they use to, well, have a road system that doesn't suck¹

So yeah, when people say it's going to get worse before it gets better? It's more of a - it was artificially good before (subsidized), now the US is actually catching up.

owch.

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1 - ok, so I'm in California which has roads designed as if by tripping hippies and built as if by a stoned surfer name Jeb, but... still...

Comments

[grahamux.livejournal.com]

Let us not forget that my car gets about 18mpg.. the europe/japanese version gets 30 and has more power.

Isn't it Sierra Leone where gas is around $18.50 USD/gallon?

[darkcryst.livejournal.com]

remember tho - UK gallons are different to the US - 30mpg = 25mpg in US gallons.

[elsh.livejournal.com]

I don't know why people freak out about gas prices. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me. It doesn't change drastically in a short time, and yes, $8.30 a gallon sounds really expensive, but well, either you can afford to drive or you can't. A few cents here and there doesn't make a lot of difference. I would still look for a good deal if I did drive, but people act like gas is friggin God. Just chill already!

I'd love for my father to hear what you think about California roads. :p He's important at Caltrans and has worked there longer than I've been alive.

[darkcryst.livejournal.com]

short answer for your dad - they suck ;)

The planning is bad, the quality is poor, and they are almost never fixed quickly.

Granted I'm comparing to the UK where we actually have funding for stuff like that... so it probably doesn't compare too well... but still.

[elsh.livejournal.com]

Heh, I don't doubt they do! I don't really care what you say regarding my father or anything that might be of his doing anyhow...don't like the guy! :p

Dave in London.

[(Anonymous)]

I couldn't get up to date figures but from 2007 if a litre cost 85p, 65p of it was tax. I think todays total is about 2/3 tax also.

As for having better roads, the US wins this one for the efficient grid system. Having said that i much prefer windy little back streets/lanes/mews in London, it adds character. Although the average speed of traffic in the congestion charge zone is 7mph, no faster than a horse and carriage.

Also fact fans there are no Roads in the City of London!

Re: Dave in London.

[darkcryst.livejournal.com]

Are you high? Have you ever lived anywhere with a grid system? The grid system is only efficient for planning - it SUCKS for actual usage.

It's completely useless - it doesn't take into account how people work, move, or live, and assumes the city usage patterns will never change. Even worse - most places mix the grid system with organic methods - which creates MADNESS!!

Milton Keynes uses the grid system - and it's horrible to get to places in.

I've heard the 65p one, but I remember the numbers breakdown on it was really shoddy - adding in things that didn't need to be added, or weren't direct taxes.

Plus you have to remember that prices are kept low here due to government subsidy - the government spends peoples money though in this case, rather than get it and use it for something useful.

Re: Dave in London.

[(Anonymous)]

well ill bow to your better judgment on the road system as you live with it, but the tax is a straight 65p per litre. no other little bits and pieces, just straight up, one stop fuel tax. but nobody complains about it cause they never see the break down and we are used to paying it here.

Re: Dave in London.

[darkcryst.livejournal.com]

From 01-10-2007 the main road fuel (petrol and diesel) duty rate in the UK is 50.35p per litre. The rate for biodiesel and bioethanol is 30.35p.

Of course then you add VAT... which gets it to 65.24p but counting VAT is dumb for comparison purposes - it's not the same kind of tax at all. That is what I meant about dodgy numbers.

Complaining about VAT on petrol as part of the taxes on fuel is just plain wrong. VAT is a separate argument, so should be separated out from fuel tax, as it's not a fuel tax - its a sales tax.

Plus as I said - the tax from fuel costs means the roads don't suck and are built on time. The new section of the bay bridge is... something like 8 freaking years overdue..? That is nuts. It's cost more than the freaking Dome did. Plus the main freeways have potholes in that could sink a Mini, let alone the back roads - and this is in a major metropolitan area!

So sure - the UK gets taxed more than the US - but look at what it gets for it: better roads, sane road systems, things built on time, and good public transport (even Brentwood public transport is compatible to Oaklands).

[catwoman1980.livejournal.com]

Try driving in Atlanta someday...not too much difference. I think those same hippies probably lived there too.