PR415: Road Pricing fundamental question number 2

news: for immediate release

Road Pricing fundamental question number 2:

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Can road pricing be greener than fuel duty?
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Answer: No it can't. Fuel duty is a PERFECT 'carbon tax' because virtually
every carbon atom in fuel ends up in atmospheric carbon dioxide. Every litre of
fuel burnt creates exactly the same amount of CO2. (petrol and diesel have
slightly different values)

Paul Smith, founder of the Safe Speed road safety campaign
(www.safespeed.org.uk) said: "When they say road pricing is 'green' don't
believe them. Fuel duty is a perfect carbon tax. Whatever they do with road
pricing would be far less green than fuel duty. For example people will travel
further to avoid high priced zones thereby increasing CO2 output."

"Of course if they used road pricing to price us off the roads, that WOULD
reduce CO2 output, But they could get a better effect at far lower cost with
fuel duty increases."

<ends>

Notes for editors
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Paul Smith investigated road pricing in 2004 after the House of Commons
Transport Committee called for information. Our memorandum is published here:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200405/cmselect/cmtran/218/218we58.ht\
m
Further arguments and data are available at the link.

Recent Safe Speed forum discussion on the 'Pros' and 'Cons' of road pricing:
http://www.safespeed.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10857
(three pages) We CANNOT BELIEVE that anyone is stupid enough to think that this
scheme will work! The list of 'cons' is huge.


About Safe Speed
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The Safe Speed road safety campaign is primarily the work of engineer-turned
road safety analyst Paul Smith.

Since setting up Safe Speed in 2001, Paul Smith, 51, an advanced motorist and
road safety enthusiast, and a professional engineer of 25 years UK experience,
has carried out over 10,000 hours working on the campaign with well over 5,000
of those hours researching the overall effects of speed camera policy on UK
road safety. In addition to those 10,000 hours, Paul has funded to campaign to
the tune of £10,000.

We believe that this is more work in more detail than anything carried out by
any other organisation. Paul's surprising conclusion is that overall speed
cameras make our roads more dangerous. Paul has identified and reported a
number of major flaws and false assumptions in the claims made for speed
cameras, and the whole "speed kills" system of road safety.

The inescapable conclusion is that we should urgently return to the excellent
road safety policies that gave us in the UK the safest roads in the World in
the first place. Far from saving lives, speed cameras are a dangerous
distraction.

Safe Speed does not campaign against speed limits or appropriate enforcement
of motoring laws, but argues vigorously that automated speed enforcement is
neither safe nor appropriate.

Safe Speed is very slimly funded by voluntary contributions to the web site.
We are urgently seeking improved funding.

The Safe Speed web site contains more than 350,000 words of road safety
analysis and information. We are seeking publishers for 'the book of the web
site'.

It has turned out to be quite an amazing story and there are opportunities for
journalists and broadcasters to explore how all this came about, what it
means, and where road safety has gone so badly wrong.



Contact Safe Speed - We have moved
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description: Safe Speed road safety campaign
web: http://www.safespeed.org.uk
email: psmith@...
telephone: > 01862 893030 < primary number
ISDN Audio: 01862 894772
mobile: 07799 045553

Location: North Scotland

We are always available for further comment on your road safety story.

To be added to our PR distribution list send an email to
psmith@... or visit our press pages at:
http://www.safespeed.org.uk/prindex.html

Recent press releases (since November 2004) are automatically and immediately
uploaded to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SafeSpeedPR

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PAUL SMITH AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW
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