Congestion charges While increasing fuel taxes does have a small impact on the level of traffic, Stephen Glaister, Professor of Transport and Infrastructure at Imperial College, London believes there is a better way of reducing greenhouse gases from cars. Cars are much cheaper and efficient in real terms than they were 30 years ago. If we're going to reduce emission levels then we need to encourage smaller and more fuel efficient cars. Congestion charging is another policy that Professor Glaister supports. He believes charging would allow big cities to face up to their traffic problems.
Congestion charging gives people the incentive to use their cars sensibly.
If the tax collected is used locally it can give people the chance to use some of the revenue for the improvement of local infrastructure. The rebellion over fuel prices comes at a very bad time for European governments. Ministers meeting in Lyon this week, in advance of a key UN environmental conference in November, are trying to settle the outstanding arguments on how to implement cuts in greenhouse gas emissions agreed at Kyoto three years ago. The European Union is trying to persuade the United States to take more action at home to prevent global warming. Professor Paul Ekins of Keele University is concerned that the fuel blockades may force European governments to reduce fuel duties.