Railfuture has urged the Government to stop giving the wrong signals about its transport policy.

Raising rail fuel duty while continuing to allow aviation fuel to be tax free and freezing motor fuel duty since 2003 was unfair, Railfuture’s Norman Bradbury told Department for Transport officials in February.

Rail fuel duty was increased by 1.3p per litre in 2003, 2.4p per litre in 2004 and there will be another 1p increase in 2005, warned Norman.

Government figures also show that the cost of motoring has dropped by 11% in real terms since 1975 while rail fares have increased by 70%.

Norman also urged the DfT and the Treasury to devise fiscal incentives to help the rail industry adopt low-sulphur fuel.

Norman also highlighted the potential problem caused by investment in public transport actually achieving its object of persuading more people to leave their cars at home.

This could cause a drop in Treasury revenue because of the drop in fuel use and in the crazy world of government cost-benefit analysis that could make funding pubic transport schemes even more difficult than at present.

Professor David Begg of the Commission for Integrated Transport has called on the Treasury to take more account of the wider economic and social benefits.

Norman aso pointed out that time saved by rail travellers should be re-assessed for cost-benefit calculations. Many people – including commuters – now used train journeys to work.

Norman was part of a team of transport activists who met the DfT officials on 24 February 2005.

Stephen Joseph of Transport 2000 called for better enforcement of road speed limits and reminded the officials that 55mph was the mostfuel-efficient speed.

David Coultread of Transport 2000 said the health benefits of walking and cycling gave an added reason for these to be properly considered and included in local transport plans.