The suggestions are typical bureaucratic response to an emerging crisis situation. Clearly, there is a need to move away from dependence on fossil fuel, and look and effectively pegging the dependence on oil to about 50% of total effective demand. The alternates that can be evaluated are: a) Development of a Hybrid engine platform for small cars, giving about 50 KMPL by 2015 b) Use of alternate Fuel such as CNG, Ethanol, etc as well encourage development of Electric cars c) Effective development of Comprehensive Public Transport systems such as Metro Rail, Mono Rail, d) Develop Transport systems and technologies to replace IC Engines by 2025 e) Cities must be re-developed to make work-home commuting and Intra-city travel 'Public-Transport' friendly. In fact, Mumbai is well suited to implement this. Unfortunately, Politicians and City developers have taken a short sighted approach. Had a Metro been planned and implemented, Mumbai would have emerged as the 'Most Public Transport' Friendly city. Hope the world works effectively to render OPEC irrelevant by 2025.
RE:Rather - these are 6 Point Tragedy
by Sensor on May 27, 2008 02:06 PM Permalink
Waht about restricting car traffic ( single person travelling in a car consumes more fuel) - this restrction should apply to MLA, MPs and to all VIPS
RE:Rather - these are 6 Point Tragedy
by on May 26, 2008 10:38 PM Permalink
Really worth points made. I would like to add something more to it: The author of the articles fails to consider the laziness and unwillingness on the part of the government in providing a better transportation system. This article takes a pretty leftist outlook while considering taxing car owners at large. if some people out there and work hard to earn that extra buck, he should have the freedom to even spend it. Another point that i heard from the CEO of VW in India was that the Government hasnt done enough to introduce more greener and more effecient fuels. Lastly, its high time that the Government takes more stringent measures in defining the minimum fuel efficiency of cars for each segment.
Sorry, my friend here we are not concerned with money, there is a much larger issue to cater to. people might even pay 10 odd thousand rupees more for driving their cars but on the same it wont help in reducing the numner of vehicles on the roads considering the pay packages that are there right now in the corporate world.
Its high time we stop running away from the problem and find a feasible and appropriate solution to hit the problem at the grass root level.
Taxing car owners for is a thoughtless suggestion . Pl. remember with every rupee increse in oil prices, the state exchequer issweled by 34 /35 paise . Where do this month goes . Into the pockets of state legislators and beurocrats . Why cann't central gove. force state govt . to reduce the taxes . Infact its a tacit understanding between state and central govet. to loot common people in the name of bharat nirman and India shining . If surcharge to be levied when oil price is USD 135 a barrel what this "high colored thieves "would do when the price is going to touch USD 200 !
The comment, "If one has money enough to buy a car, one must have commitment enough to contribute to the nation's good and therefore the car owners should pay differential petroleum surcharge " is a thoughtless one. The way this one sided thought is presented, "The government should not hesitate", shows further thoughtlessness. The author seems to forget that the a person affords a car from his income after paying taxes. Once tax is paid the payee has accountably done his share of "nation's good". The income left over is for him to spend for his own benefit. The author may not hesitate to pass any comment whatsoever, we seem to be lucky that the Government still have some hesitation (read thoughtfulness) left. Could we, therefore expect some hesitation please before some uncalledfor judgment is passed!
Least thing we want on Petrol prices...is a godamn White paper man....does he thing there r no enough white/yellow/red papers already....who will author this supposedly genial white paper some retired-has-no-other job Officer...lol...?!
Mr. Raghavan makes some suggestions for tackling the oil crisis- some reasonable,some preposterous. But what he very significantly fails to mention is that India and the world needs to develop alternative sources of energy fast, in fact very fast, to escape the oil crisis. It was, in part, the fillip given to development of alternative sources of energy by the Jimmy Carter led US administration in the late 70's that did much to put a pin into the inflated egos of the oil lobby, and led to the cheap oil (internationally) of the 80's. India is well placed to develop wind, solar, and tidal energy, and if the government gives an incentive for the development and sale of electric cars, along with tax breaks for owning them, it would go a long way to prevent our not so high forex reserves from being wasted so extravagantly on oil. With the cheap oilof the 80's, the Reagan and subsequent US administrations scrapped the alternative energy measures initiated by Carter, and consequently the US has to face the spectre of high oil prices today. With the US Congress lashing out at the oil companies in the US, they have now started circulating the idea of 'Brakken oil' through the back door, suggesting that the price of oil can then be brought down to $16 a barrel. This is just another attempt by oil majors around the world to delay the introduction of alternative technologies for use by the masses, so that they can profit from huge oil prices.
I feel quite sure that a larger portion of the consumption of the fuels must be in the metros.A large section of the "sandwiched" middle class pays Income taxes via TDS and with what is left some buy a vehicle to have some comfort but yes even there we do pay road tax. In spite of this we dont have even average infrastructure. The traffic snarls on account of such infrastrcuture is definitely resulting in a substantial amount of wastage of fuels. What are we doing about that??? Its not that money is not being invested in bringing up the infrastructure, but so much of it never reaches the intended use, due to the corruption in the system!!! What do we do about that??? The infrastructure projects are being delayed by not months but Years...What are we doing about that??? The only solution always seems to be "Target the middle class, which aspires to rise on its merits" WHY?
I think the writer of this column does not know what it takes to earn money and afford things with so much of inflation However for govt middle salaried class is most easy resource to pump out money, any thingwrong happens in the country heavy taxes are levied on him, geout as much money from him as you can. As businessmen tries every possible way to pay lease tax and bureaucrats how much tax they pay what should i say about that, so its is only salried class who has to pay tax in form of TDS. How can he afford a luxury or anythinhg good without paying hefty pricess for it, he has topay price for enjoying any lesiure.
TODAYS TECHNOLOGY HAS DEVELOPED TO SUCH EXTENT THAT ELECTROLYSIS OF WATER CAN BE DONE BY RESONANCE TECHNOLOGY WHICH SPLIT THE ATOMS OF WATER TO FORM HYDROXY GAS WHICH BURNS AS EFFICIENT FUEL WWITH ZERO POLLUTANT EMMISSIONS. OUR CARS AND BUSES SHOULD BE DESIGHNED WITH SUCH TECHNOLOGY TO INCORPORATE THE ELECTROLYSIS PROCESS OF SEPERATING WATER TO HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN TO FORM HYDROXY GAS.
THIS IS THE SOLUTION TO OIL CRISIS IN WORLD. LET ALL OF THEM FOLLOW THIS PATH AND USE WATER AS FUEL FOR TRANSPORTATION EYERYWHERE.
RE:METHOD OF OVERCOMING OIL CRISIS -
by PRAVEEN VARMA on May 28, 2008 01:34 AM Permalink
Hi,
Nice to know that you are having good knowledge on electrolysis of water and Hydroxy gas. I would love to get in touch with on personl mail. So please write to me on pvar06 at yahoo dot com
RE:METHOD OF OVERCOMING OIL CRISIS -
by Siddharth Pandit on May 26, 2008 07:40 PM Permalink
Water is even more expensive than oil. Also water is one thing that without which the entire life would come to halt. To use it for generating energy without a renewable source will be asking for trouble soon.
RE:banning its trading on commodity exchanges
by Devesh Singhal on May 26, 2008 05:55 PM Permalink
Increase price of diesel and petrol. Let car owners feel the pinch....OK OK . But, should we not try to imagine why the road conditions are poor. Except for metros, go wherever u like, your fuel average will reduce at least by 25%. Your scooter, cars trucks consume 25-30% more fuel on such roads. Traffic controls are poor resulting in frequent braking the vehicle.
Tell me, If u want to reduce electricity bill at home, what will u do?
1. Use CFL in place of bulb; Une energy efficient star rated fridge, AC etc. or
2. Switch off your mains supply for several hours a day?
RE:banning its trading on commodity exchanges
by Aviram Vijh on May 26, 2008 05:47 PM Permalink
all temporary measures... that is the sign of a free economy..the govt has already banned futures trading of agri products...why? why doesnt the farmer have to right to get the highest possible price determined by market forces?
RE:banning its trading on commodity exchanges
by Siddharth Pandit on May 26, 2008 07:54 PM Permalink
The investment money in the oil market is only a fraction of total oil trade in the world. Hence curtailing this would not be of great use. One should not be using this as an excuse for a surge in demand. The only way the prices can be curtailed in the so called free market economies should be the demand. All the consumers should look to curtail the demand. One of the solution presented makes sense which is not to regulate the price of petrol. This step alone with save the exchequer about 20,000 crore rupees annually. Yes for now the price of diesel should be controlled so that it does not effect inflation. But measures should be put in place to ensure that the we slowly reduce the subsidies provided for diesel as well. I can list only a few points here and it would be best left for the experts to determine which one should be used. Develop infrasture of railways to transport the goods Use alternative energy sources techology developed around the world (e.g. Brazil). Use better technolgies (e.g. Canada, Norway) to explore the oil reserves and become less dependant on imported oil. Nuclear, Geothermal, Wind resources to generate electicity. Adapt better techonology in Coal (India has a good resource of this) to convert it into more usable applications.
