My petrol price protest.

[Brandane]

To begin, my commute is 25 miles each way and I work 13 hour shifts, so cycling is not an option. Especially on the route involved.....

With petrol at around £1.30 for a measly litre and set to go ever higher, my commute is costing about £7 in petrol alone per day! I am getting really sick of being held to ransom by successive lying politicians who see motorists as the easy option for fund raising.

Now.... a Honda 125 motorbike has come up for sale! 100 mpg; so less than half the fuel cost. I already have a full bike licence so I reckon it's a good idea. I already have a Yamaha Fazer 600, but it uses about 55mpg so not a great saving, and what it saves in petrol it uses in tyres (£120 for a rear tyre, and it lasts about 4000 miles).

Never mind blocking roads as a form of fuel protest, hit the govt. where it hurts and buy as little of the stuff as possible!

 

[Globalti]

Yes, a motorcycle actually has a worse coefficient of drag than a bus! My 650cc bike used to do about 45mpg and yes, a new rear tyre every 4000 miles at £80.00 in those days.

 

[Night Train]

I've never understood the 'rolling road block' form of fuel protest. Fuel costs too much so you and a whole load of other road users set to the roads when you normally wouldn't be driving and then drive in such a way as to use the most fuel possible paid for out of your own pocket? Daft!

I agree with the 'use less of it approach' but also not enough people excercise their right to vote when they get the chance, nor do they take the time to request that their servants in Government take on board their concerns.

£70 diesel fill up last night for my car, I still drive with an aim for 60mpg or better.

 

[XmisterIS]

How about an electrically assisted bike? They're getting better all the time and the number of models on the market seems to be exploding at the moment. And at the rate I'm going with bicycles, I'm going to need a bigger garage soon ...

As regards motorbikes - yep, my SV650 does about 50mpg, but my God it's fun to ride! There's nothing quite like the feeling of opening the throttle and accelerating at warp factor 9 ...

 

[John the Monkey]

My commute is 35 miles each way.

I use the train and my bike (so's I get a ride of around 13 miles each way, which is a distance I can do 5 days a week).

The train service where I am is pretty good[1], and even with the SNOWPOCALYPSE I reckon I was delayed fewer times this year than the folk who chose to drive (delays on the M6 are frequent, it seems).

Despite the fact that I'm not clogging up roads with yet another vehicle with just one person in it, I pay a lot more in train fare than I would in petrol, and Cameron and his bunch of car obsessed "transport" wonks are going to let fares rise even more. Drivers get a pretty good deal money wise.

[1] Hilariously, I often get people living along the same route justifying their driving on the basis that the service is unreliable, which also happened when I lived in Heald Green (on the very good Manchester - Manchester Airport line). Some folk just REALLY want to drive.

 

[snailracer]

Over the last 10 years, travel by bus, train and car have all become cheaper in real terms. See section 2.6:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/trends/current/section2ptbm.pdf

 

[MarkF]

My Vespa derived LML does 160 mpg, it's perfect for a 25 mile commute and on a rainy day you'll arrive a lot dryer than on a small cc bike. On an A road run you may get the claimed 170mpg!

Considering it's purchase cost, residuals, £15 road tax, £80 insurance and ludicrously cheap spares, I don't think there is a cheaper means of viable transport.

 

[beanzontoast]

My fuel protest has been to cycle and walk more and to make increased use of public transport. Fortunately we have a frequent bus service that generally runs to time, and the various 'saver' ticket options take the edge off the costs - a little.

I wonder if motorists would react in the same way if prices were to rise in one large jump of 25p a litre rather than several smaller increases spread out over months? When interviewed on tv, people seem resigned to it - they don't like it happening, but because the increases are spread out over time they seem less significant. It's when you stop and look at the change over a longer period that it really hits home.

If 2/3 of the pump price is tax and the government needs the revenue, I don't see an easy way out of the price spiral.

 

[krushavik]

My Vespa derived LML does 160 mpg, it's perfect for a 25 mile commute and on a rainy day you'll arrive a lot dryer than on a small cc bike. On an A road run you may get the claimed 170mpg!

Considering it's purchase cost, residuals, £15 road tax, £80 insurance and ludicrously cheap spares, I don't think there is a cheaper means of viable transport.

I agree I have a Peugeot Elysee scooter and use when ever possible, and this has cut my fuel bill down.

 

[MrGrumpy]

My fuel protest started a few years ago when I got rid of the second car, cycled alot more and generally feel justified in my decision. However the price of fuel is astronomical now and something needs to be done, considering the heart has been ripped out of most communities by the BIG supermarkets most people rely on car to go and just get the shopping.

Had a Honda CG125 about 10yrs ago, was brilliant for fuel economy and if I lived in town and worked their I would go back to that, but I had one too many scary journeys over the forth road bridge when i had to lean into the wind!!

 

[chris-s]

I still drive with an aim for 60mpg or better.

I try to aim for 30mpg, don't seem to get their tho.

Chris

 

[numbnuts]

Not so much of a fuel protest, but I try and use my bike as much as I can and only really need the car for kayaking, fishing and to get the monthly heavy shopping, but I still have to pay the same VED as someone who's out 356 days a year how can that be right.

 

[thomas]

To begin, my commute is 25 miles each way and I work 13 hour shifts, so cycling is not an option. Especially on the route involved.....

With petrol at around £1.30 for a measly litre and set to go ever higher, my commute is costing about £7 in petrol alone per day! I am getting really sick of being held to ransom by successive lying politicians who see motorists as the easy option for fund raising.

Now.... a Honda 125 motorbike has come up for sale! 100 mpg; so less than half the fuel cost. I already have a full bike licence so I reckon it's a good idea. I already have a Yamaha Fazer 600, but it uses about 55mpg so not a great saving, and what it saves in petrol it uses in tyres (£120 for a rear tyre, and it lasts about 4000 miles).

Never mind blocking roads as a form of fuel protest, hit the govt. where it hurts and buy as little of the stuff as possible!

My Honda 90 does about 100mpg and costs about £6 for a full tank...and that lasts to the moon and back (well, about 100 miles ). Tax is a tenner, and insurance under £200 (because of being youthful and likely to destroy villages for my lack of experience).

Honda 125 would be better, a bit more power which on a longer commute like your, but I love my little C90.


Edit: changed 100mph to 100mph - whoops, only a slight difference!!

 

[Maz]

To the OP...is it possible for you to drive part way and cycle the rest?

 

[ASC1951]

I try to aim for 30mpg, don't seem to get their tho.

Drive something more sensible?