Archived press release

10th anniversary of fuel price protests - Government must fund green transport

8 September 2010

On the 10th anniversary of the September 2000 fuel blockades (Wednesday 8 September 2010) Friends of the Earth is calling on the Government to use next month's Comprehensive Spending Review to protect people from future oil price rises and cut the UK's carbon emissions by prioritising funding for local schemes that boost public transport, walking and cycling.

The green campaigning charity says getting people out their cars and onto greener alternatives will cut emissions from road transport, which are still growing. Investing in 'Smarter Choices' travel policies that promote greener travel locally, it says, will reduce traffic and congestion, encourage healthier lifestyles and provide local authorities with more cost-effective alternatives to expensive road-building schemes.

The charity is highlighting a £10 million five-year pilot project by the Department of Transport in three English towns between 2004 and 2008 which cut car trips by at least 11 per cent - simply by encouraging people to switch to greener forms of transport for journeys they were already making.

Friends of the Earth's transport campaigner Richard Dyer said:

"The cost of motoring has fallen in real terms since 1997 while the cost of public transport has gone up. With petrol prices set to rise and climate change starting to bite, Ministers must fund greener and cheaper ways to travel.

"Over half of all car journeys are less than five miles long - Ministers must prioritise funding for local schemes that encourage people to walk, cycle or use public transport  in the upcoming Comprehensive Spending Review.

"Boosting green travel is a proven, cost-effective way of cutting emissions, reducing traffic and congestion, improving local areas and encouraging us all to lead healthier lifestyles."
He added:

"Cleaner cars are part of the solution but biofuels are no green fix - our increasing demand for biofuel crops is trashing rainforests and causing climate-changing emissions."

ENDS

Notes to editor:

1.    Friends of the Earth is calling on the Government to prioritise funding for Smarter Choices transport policies that promote greener travel locally. It argues that fuel tax is needed to deter people from motoring - but wants the alternatives to be made cheaper, quicker, safer and more reliable. It says the Comprehensive Spending Review is an opportunity for Ministers to protect funding for essential road maintenance but to scrap expensive road building projects. 
 
2.     A £10 million five-year pilot project by the Department of Transport in three English towns, carried out between 2004 and 2008, cut car trips by at least 11 per cent simply by encouraging people to switch to greener forms of transport for journeys they were already making. 
 
3.     In response to a parliamentary question in February 2010 the then Transport Minister Sadiq Khan answered that the total cost of motoring had fallen in real terms since 1980 and 1997 respectively, while the cost of public transport had risen:

"Between 1980 and 2009 the real cost of motoring, including the purchase of a vehicle, declined by 17 per cent, bus and coach fares increased by 54 per cent and rail fares increased by 50 per cent in real terms. These figures are based on the transport components of the Retail Prices Index.

"Between 1997 and 2009 the real cost of motoring, including the purchase of a vehicle, declined by 14 per cent., bus and coach fares increased by 24 per cent. and rail fares increased by 13 per cent in real terms."

4.    Department of Energy and Climate Change figures show that UK petrol is not as expensive as in other European countries (it ranks sixth, behind The Netherlands, Finland, Greece, Belgium and Denmark).
 
5.    Department of Energy and Climate Change figures show that fuel duty as a proportion of total petrol and diesel prices has fallen in the last 10 years.
 
 The price of petrol in August 2010 was 116.3p per litre, made up of 41.8p fuel cost (35.9%), 57.2p duty (49.2%) and 17.3p VAT (14.9%). This compares to September 2000 when petrol was 80.2p per litre, made up of 19.41p fuel cost (24.2%), 48.9p duty (60.9%) and 11.9p VAT (14.8%). Of the rise in prices over the last 10 years, 62% comes from increased fuel costs, 23% from tax and 15% from higher VAT
 
The price of Diesel in August 2010 was 118.8p per litre, made up of 43.9p fuel cost (36.9%), 57.2p duty (48.1%) and 17.7p VAT (14.9%). This compares to September 2000 when Diesel was 82.3p per litre, made up of 21.2p fuel cost (25.8%), 48.8p duty (59.3%) and 12.3p VAT (14.9%). Of the rise in prices over the last 10 years, 62% comes from the rise in fuel prices, 23% from tax and 15% from higher VAT.
  
6.    Department of Energy and Climate Change provisional 2009 figures show that UK transport emissions (not including international shipping and aviation) have barely changed since 1990 and have decreased by just four per cent since 2000. For more information see  
The most recent figures (Department for Transport, 2007) show that road transport's contribution to climate change has increased since 1997, and that it now accounts for around a fifth of UK emissions. 
 
7.    In its Budget briefing in June 2010 Friends of the Earth pointed out that persuing the top eight most expensive roads in the previous Government's roads programme would cost £5bn.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust