Predicting Rises in UK Petrol Prices
Petrol prices in the United Kingdom have risen significantly over the last few years because of a number of different factors. In fact certainly in my lifetime i have never seen these prices ever fall, only climb higher and higher. Recently however they have started to accelerate away from inflation, and become more and more expensive than a lot of people can afford.
The U.K government keeps the prices of petrol much higher then they need to artificially because of the fact that they make a lot of money from the taxes on fuel. As much as half the cost of our petrol goes to the government rather then the oil companies, and as much as the oil companies have raised their rices, the government has been ready to add extra taxation on at every step of the way. Other than tobacco, fuel is the most taxed item that people in Britain can purchase.
Some people might see this as a good thing, because its forcing us all into smaller, more efficient cars that cause less pollution. The cost of running a large car is now so high that it can cost you towards 100 pounds to fill up a large engine, (thats over $200). It also encourages more people to use public transport rather then using their cars all the time, which again is better for the environment.
In the capital there are even congestion and emission charges now, meaning that if you have a large car or drive in a busy place, then you have to pay a lot more. This all points to the government wanting us all to use cars less then we do at the moment. The sad fact however is that a lot of public transport facilities are woefully inadequate. Trains are perpetually late, buses don't turn up at the right times etc.
A lot of people in Britain feel cheated by the fuel prices, and rightly so. We are one of the cleanest and low emission producing nations in the world, and we have the highest fuel costs of any country in the world, both literally and comparatively. In America the fuel is much cheaper, and they are one of the worst pollutants in the world, and they drive overly large cars that waste fuel and damage the environment.
So i predict that the petrol prices will continue to rise as the government tries further to stop people driving. It will eventually become a good thing because when he fuel starts to run out and becomes expensive for everyone, the people in the UK will be used to using public transport and other means of transportation anyway.
