Englishmen may be unique in thinking of their homes as castles.
Toward their cars, however, Englishmen take the almost universal view that the car is a status symbol-sometimes even an extension of the personality.
So English car owners have felt doubly threatened in recent weeks.
One U.K. government body warned against use of unleaded gasoline that contains benzene added to boost octane levels and therefore car performance.
Only a few days later, another report made headlines because it proposed doubling the price of gasoline by 2005. Price hikes were seen as levers to cut air pollution and inspire development of more fuel efficient vehicles.
The first shock came when an all party committee of U.K. members of Parliament announced that benzene in "superunleaded" fuel grades was more dangerous than the lead additives it replaces (see story, p. 40).
PILLORIED
David Parker, director general of the U.K. Petroleum Industry Association, came quickly to the defense of fuel producers. He pointed out that unleaded fuel was introduced by industry in direct response to requests from government.
Parker said, "Superunleaded fuel has been unjustifiably pilloried by manufacturers of lead additives who would prefer motorists buy leaded petrol. It is deeply disappointing that these views appear to have been accepted at face value."
Then on Oct. 27, over their breakfast kipper, English car owners were dismayed to read newspaper headlines saying a report by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution had proposed a tough new British transport strategy.
The commission predicts road traffic in Britain will double by 2025 vet fears a road building program involving increased spending will not keep traffic congestion from growing worse.
To help stem emissions of greenhouse gases, the royal commission proposed that the fuel efficiency of new cars should be improved by 40% on average by 2005. Physical efficiency of people is also targeted.
FITNESS BOOST
"Many short journeys can be made on foot or by cycle, if a network of safe routes is created," the commission said. "As well as protecting the environment, this would ease health problems being caused by lack of physical fitness."
The commission proposed a target to reduce the percentage of urban journeys by car from 30% in London at present to 45% by 2000 and 35% by 2020 and from 65% in other cities now to 60% by 2000 and 50% by 2020
The commission expects public transport use to increase at the expense of the car. Once again Parker spoke out, saving a doubling of the price of fuel through taxation by 2005 would have little effect on vehicle use.
"In the short to medium term," Parker said, "drivers would trade down to smaller cars or diesels, but this would not cut the overall amount of traffic. It is only in the very long term, if the design of cities changes, that traffic use would alter."
Copyright 1994 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.
Issue date: 11/07/94
