The way producers and suppliers respond to public demand for fuel that is as cheap and clean as possible has a significant influence on the way transport amenity and policy develops. But the way governments interact with energy companies and indeed the nations that have the greatest abundance of natural resources for fuel production is often of equally critical significance. A good example of this can be drawn from UK government plans during the 1990s, to encourage a shift from the use of petrol and diesel for cars and vans to a ‘greener’ fuel like LPG – which is a generic name for commercial propane and butane. Go here for more.
In trying to ‘go green’ a number of commercial and local government fleet operators invested significant sums on converting their vehicles to run on LPG – in the belief that supply would become sufficiently widespread to enable its cost effective use over time. But the UK treasury refused to offer fuel suppliers a sufficient level of support in the form of tax incentives to enable commercially viable development of extensive supply of LPG. As a result many operators got their business fingers burnt and are unlikely to take similar risks again, while others are resuming their reliance on petrol and diesel fuelled vehicles…