Some common fallacies

20th September 1968, Page 212

20th September 1968

Page 212

Page 212, 20th September 1968 — Some common fallacies

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2.1 Delving below the level of superficiality soon results in the explosion of popular fallacies. One I have mentioned—get all the freight traffic off the road and all will be well. Incidentally, the fact that goods vehicles contribute some £436m of the £1.367m raised by fuel tax and licence duties is not without its significance in this connection.

2.2 A fallacy that should have been exploded by now is that road users do not pay the full costs of the roads they use; and that lorries and buses do not pay their full share. Even before the more recent increases in motor taxation, the Ministry Report on Road Track Costs showed that each category of vehicle was then paying more than the allocated costs. Propaganda is unfortunately more powerful than the facts; the facts speak for themselves but this will not prevent the facts being ignored.

2.3 Another fallacy is to be found in the view that road transport is a usurper—that its birth was a misfortune and that its suppression is the only decent solution. This attitude just does not fit the facts. For good or ill road transport is the predominant form of inland transport; in 40 years the scene has changed beyond all knowledge as the following simple estimates show:—