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.

______________
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

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).