Don't take a blanket approach. You will catch motorists out. |
Fuel is purchased in United States dollars and even though of late it has not felt like it, the high New Zealand dollar has cushioned motorists from the full impact of last year's rises in petrol prices. |
Motorists would like the assurance that all of the money that they pay in excise tax is used on the roads. At the moment what we've got is that there is an argument that some of the money is offset for other costs that are incurred than by use of motor vehicles. |
One week it's the New Zealand dollar gone down, the next it's markets are volatile or demand is high. So it's very hard for the motorist to sort of equate what is going on. All they see is the price going up. |
There is quite a bit of pain coming from this fall in the dollar, and the price increase that has come through so far. A lot of people appear to be absorbing it, but it can't go on forever. |