When I first started driving it was four gallons for a quid, and I was earning about one grand per annum. Now I'm retired with a total pension of about 25 grand. I suppose it all figures somehow .... sigh ....

My hubby just did this. He now cycles to work about 3 times a week and drives the other 2 days. He's covering about 60 miles on the work trip on the bike. He bought a very nice Giant roadbike, clippy pedals etc. I am considering it too; the cycle lane on our main road is quite decent and I would happily tootle into town on it, as long as I wasn't going to buy too many pair of shoes obviously :-P

It does appear to be addictive too!

If I stopped using my car it'd save me about £4k a year, but I love driving!

I was going to say earlier actually that my understanding of a uk gallon was around 4.4 litres, not 6.

After the protests of 2000 the law was changed to make it virtually impossible for the most important people (haulage firms) to strike. Without them on board, you cant do it. Basically if they strike they lose their operating licence, and will just leave it wide open for the Poles or whoever to come in and do it instead, so its not worth the Hauliers doing it now, despite the firm near me having a £50million diesel bill (when it was half that just four years ago).

They say the tax is to discourage use, well fuel by the litre sales have reduced in the last few years, we're selling less and less of it, and the price just keeps going up and up to cover the Governments "losses." So the idea of "use less, price comes down" is a non starter and a strawman argument put forward by the Government. The more we keep buying fuel effecient cars the more the price will rise. As is the free-to-tax cars, their higher price means they make a hefty slice from the VAT on it, they make sure they dont lose.

Edited by jamie745 on 16/06/2011 at 23:33