Governments Should Try to Reduce Air Traffic by Taxing It More Heavily: A Debate
EGLĖ ADOMAVIČIŪTĖ, Group 1
Air traffic is increasingly leading to more noise, pollution and airport construction. One reason for this is the growth in low-cost passenger flights, often to holiday destinations.
Some people say that governments should try to reduce air traffic by taxing it more heavily.
Do you agree or disagree?
I totally disagree with the opinion that air traffic should be reduced by taxing it more heavily. Firstly, the reduction of air traffic would decrease the demand because of increased fares. A number of people would have to choose another means of transport while travelling to their holiday destinations, for example cars. Thus, more and more cars would appear on the roads and motorways. Although airplanes are more polluting than cars, the growth of car-polluters would cause a great variety of problems: the increase of car accidents, traffic jams, etc. We should consider what happens on the motorways of Germany or France in the holiday period. Endless queues of cars continuously stream forward heading southwards to Spain or Italy at a turtle‘s speed. Much more fuel is burnt “speeding” like this. The nervous state of mind and health problems of travellers should also be taken into consideration.
The other reason why I disagree with heavy air traffic taxation is that certain groups of passengers like pensioners, students, low-income people would have to abstain from such a comfortable way of communication. For instance, overseas students use long-distance flights quite frequently. They are not a well-off category of passengers though. According to statistic data, thousands of them annually come to the UK to acquire education from Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, Pakistan, etc. Students are always short not only of money but also of time. They cannot afford a long time-consuming voyage that would last for weeks. Therefore, flights are unavoidable necessity for them.
Are there any alternatives to decrease noise and air pollution
Air traffic is increasingly leading to more noise, pollution and airport construction. One reason for this is the growth in low-cost passenger flights, often to holiday destinations.
Some people say that governments should try to reduce air traffic by taxing it more heavily.
Do you agree or disagree?
I totally disagree with the opinion that air traffic should be reduced by taxing it more heavily. Firstly, the reduction of air traffic would decrease the demand because of increased fares. A number of people would have to choose another means of transport while travelling to their holiday destinations, for example cars. Thus, more and more cars would appear on the roads and motorways. Although airplanes are more polluting than cars, the growth of car-polluters would cause a great variety of problems: the increase of car accidents, traffic jams, etc. We should consider what happens on the motorways of Germany or France in the holiday period. Endless queues of cars continuously stream forward heading southwards to Spain or Italy at a turtle‘s speed. Much more fuel is burnt “speeding” like this. The nervous state of mind and health problems of travellers should also be taken into consideration.
The other reason why I disagree with heavy air traffic taxation is that certain groups of passengers like pensioners, students, low-income people would have to abstain from such a comfortable way of communication. For instance, overseas students use long-distance flights quite frequently. They are not a well-off category of passengers though. According to statistic data, thousands of them annually come to the UK to acquire education from Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, Pakistan, etc. Students are always short not only of money but also of time. They cannot afford a long time-consuming voyage that would last for weeks. Therefore, flights are unavoidable necessity for them.
Are there any alternatives to decrease noise and air pollution