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Foe lambasts aa's "shameful" fuel tax campaign
1 February 1999
Commenting on the AA's fuel tax campaign launched today, Tony Bosworth, Friends of the Earth's Transport Campaigner, said:
“This is a shameful campaign. Climate change is the greatest environmental threat facing the world, and the AA is trying to undermine one of the central planks of the Government's policy. Road traffic is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gases, and so tough action to reduce emissions is essential”.
“The AA is only telling half the story. They aren't telling motorists that driving a car is cheaper now than it was 25 years ago [1]. And they aren't telling motorists that congestion and air pollution from road traffic cost Britain billions of pounds every year [2]”.
Tony Bosworth concluded:
“Oil and car companies routinely engage is political activities to protect their profits at the expense of the environment. AA members should carefully consider whether they want to support an organisation that carries out such blatant attempts to undermine the Government's environmental policies”
NOTES TO EDITORS:
[1] Since 1974, bus fares have risen by 55% and rail fares by 71% in real terms (ie after inflation), both higher than the increase in disposable income. Meanwhile, the cost of motoring has actually fallen in real terms by 2%. Over this period, the real cost of petrol has fallen by 8%. (HM Government, Indicators of Sustainable Development for the UK, 1996)
[2] The annual marginal costs of road transport (including air pollution, global warming, congestion,accidents and road damage) have been calculated by Government economic advisors at between£45.9 - £52.9 billion, compared with road tax revenue of £16.4 billion (Maddison, Pearce et al 'Blueprint 5: the true costs of road transport', 1996)
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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Jul 2008
