93. PETROL RATIONING IN THE UK
Finally, a first world government starts using its head. From the Independent Online:
Secret plan to ration fuel on the forecourt
Ministers draw up crisis strategy to combat petrol protests as prices soar
By Francis Elliott, Deputy Political Editor
Published: 11 September 2005
Motorists face rationing at petrol stations under emergency plans that are being drawn up by ministers to combat this week's fuel protests, The Independent on Sunday has learnt.
Ministers met secretly last week to finalise the Government's response to blockades of Britain's refineries threatened for Wednesday.
Petrol prices - which passed the £1-a-litre mark in the wake of Hurricane Katrina - are expected to remain at record highs in the coming weeks because of damaged refineries on the US Gulf Coast.
Soaring petrol prices are likely to add to growing demands for fuel tax cuts and further encourage militant hauliers and farmers into taking direct action in order to force the Government's hand.
Planned measures to combat a successful blockade include rationing of supplies, limiting the hours during which petrol can be sold and reserving some filling stations for "priority users". Source
posted by JD @ 7:44 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Doomers never take rationing into account, but when markets don't sort out life's little problems out they usually get involved for good or bad. Thankfully it doesn't mean people won't be able to get about, fuel is prioritised to public transport and last time this happened National Rail enquiries got record phone calls. So much for 'we need'.
I just picked up a tabloid headline mentioning that the government here in Switzerland (where I live) is seriously considering heavy taxes for owners of SUVs and other gas guzzling cars.
Good on them!
(Thank god my car gets 50mpg, and I only drive it when I have to)
Tim
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