Don’t clobber Yorkshire’s rural motorists with fuel tax hike - Yorkshire Post letters

From: Peter Horton, Sandy Lane, Ripon.
Should fuel duity be incresed in order to reduce carbon emissions?Should fuel duity be incresed in order to reduce carbon emissions?
Should fuel duity be incresed in order to reduce carbon emissions?

PERHAPS Claire Haigh, chief executive of Greener Journeys, writes (The Yorkshire Post, September 3) from the comfortable position of a metropolitan resident, with all the vast network of public transport at her disposal, when she makes the outrageous suggestion that motor fuel taxes should be raised.

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Clearly she has not taken account of the plight of country folk in deeply rural areas, like the Dales who have progressively lost village shops, pubs, banks and doctors over the years, along with the complete loss of bus services.

A fuel duty hike will hit rural areas, says Peter Horton, Do you agree? Photo: Anthony Devlin/PA WireA fuel duty hike will hit rural areas, says Peter Horton, Do you agree? Photo: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire
A fuel duty hike will hit rural areas, says Peter Horton, Do you agree? Photo: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire

The only way for them to shop for food and, indeed, maintain life is to have a car which they may struggle to run and maintain on low rural wages.

These people desperately need a cut in fuel duties which, including VAT, represents 71 per cent of the price of a litre of petrol, a clear example of Government highway robbery.

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This extortionate cost, along with Vehicle Excise Duty, raises £33bn a year, an adequate sum to invest in public transport, electric vehicle charging infrastructure and essential and overdue road repairs.

There is no justification to clobber the motorist any further.