The Government vs The Motorist

Whether or not John Prescott likes it or not this country is geared up for the motor car. So instead of continually moaning about us not using public transport he should consider a few basic facts.

First of all, as everyone who has tried it will tell you, Public Transport is in a dreadful state. There are routes where the buses go round in packs, making a complete mockery of the timetables. There are stories every week about the privatised railways never running on time and several routes on the tube can't cope with the increasing volume of passengers.
More and more supermarkets are being built in out of the way places that can only be reached by car. Admittedly some are being served by special buses but is that idea working? When you see how much food shoppers cram in to those large trolleys, it makes you wonder what happens at journeys end when they get off with about nine bags, two unhappy children and it’s raining!

There is another point that John Prescott should look at more carefully. After we have taxed and insured our cars for the year ahead, then filled up the tank what’s the incentive to leave them at home and queue up for a bus?

Several years ago there were rumours that the government at the time was considering the abolition of road tax coupled with a small increase in petrol prices to pay for it. The idea never got any further than the rumour stage but if introduced now it could pay dividends for both the government and the motorist.

It would first of all ensure that those who used the roads would pay the road tax through petrol. It would also go a long way towards tempting some motorists to use public transport in the knowledge that they wouldn’t be leaving a fully paid up road tax disc in the garage.

Of course the next big change for many motorist at the end of the year is the withdrawal of leaded petrol. At present there are about 5 million cars on the road that rely on this fuel, so what happens to them?

Well they could call John Prescott’s bluff and all leave their cars at home in the new year just to prove that public transport isn’t much good but I doubt it. I wonder how many would have got to work on time.

There is however help at hand for those 5 million cars, taking various forms. There are several additives on the market which can be added to unleaded petrol every time you fill up. Even if they work it puts the cost of motoring up yet further..
There is also on the market a "Broquet Catalyst" which you just drop in to the petrol tank then use unleaded in the same way as leaded. We used one in our own Beetle for over 2 years with no adjustments needed and no problems.

And finally, as mentioned in the April issue of Wheelspin, there is talk of lead replacement petrol on the way. I haven’t seen any literature yet so who knows; could that be another government rumour or might John Prescott be on the verge of getting some motorists to like him.

And I’d like to end on yet another rumour, the one about cars fitted with computerised management systems. Apparently some of them might be affected by the millennium bug. So be warned, if you are going to the New Year Ball do a Cinderella and leave before the clock strikes midnight.

Michael Doak

Well there are a lot of points to cover here and I’m glad John Prescott’s not a club member because he sure comes in for an ear bashing. But its good to hear a member put pen to paper with such zeal.

I quite agree that public transport can be dire at times and that our bus system is poor to say the least, just compare a Danish bus timetable to our cryptic British ones if you don’t believe me and they’re punctual. But for me at least, I wouldn’t attempt to get into London by car every morning.

As for the imminent demise of unleaded petrol, Wheelpsin has dealt with this issue in some depth but for those who want more information Practical Classics magazine carries regular updates and the July issue of VW Motoring contains a full and excellent article by Neil Burkett.

As for the millennium bug (I work in computers) it only effects computer systems that rely on a date function and few engine management chips would need to know the date. Anyway, I should think that the only parts of a majority of members cars that could fail are the clock on the stereo, although the stereo itself should work fine. If only everything was as reliable as a Volkswagen