Connect with us

Business

Ban UK domestic flights and subsidise rail travel, urges transport charity

domestic flights

Ban UK domestic flights and subsidise rail travel, urges transport charity

Domestic flights should be banned and long-distance train fares subsidised, transport campaigners have urged, highlighting the relative environmental and financial costs of air and rail travel.

The Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) called on ministers to outlaw internal UK flights if an equivalent train journey took less than five hours and to resist calls for any cut in air passenger duty.

Mandatory emissions labels on tickets and a frequent flyer levy should also be introduced, the charity said.

The demands came before the 27 October budget, in which the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, may decide to cut taxes on domestic flights in response to pressure from the aviation industry, a possibility mooted by the prime minister earlier this year. Such a move could, however, prove an embarrassment a week before the UK hosts the Cop26 climate conference in Glasgow.

The proposed ban would not affect isolated communities or the longest UK air corridors, but would hit flights such as Manchester to London, London to Edinburgh and Birmingham to Glasgow. Passengers should be offered cheaper train tickets, while anyone taking more than three international flights a year would be required to pay a frequent flyer levy, the campaign proposes.

Paul Tuohy, the chief executive of CBT said: “Cheap domestic flights might seem a good deal when you buy them, but they are a climate disaster, generating seven times more harmful greenhouse emissions than the equivalent train journey.

“Making the ​train cheaper will boost passenger numbers and help reduce emissions from aviation, but any cut to air passenger duty – coupled with a rise in rail fares in January – will send the wrong message about how the government wants people to travel and mean more people choosing to fly.”

British Airways now offsets carbon emissions on all domestic flights and there are hopes that short-haul electric planes could operate internally within 15 years. However, “jet zero” ambitions remain some way from reality and CBT argues that major internal routes are feasible by direct train instead, with similar journey times once airport journeys and formalities are factored in. However, ticket prices are often prohibitive.

In a staged “race” carried out on Friday from central London to Glasgow city centre, Tuohy took the plane and – including airport transfers and check-in – arrived in five hours 17 minutes, two minutes before the former transport minister Norman Baker, who travelled by train. CBT said the train journey emitted less than one-sixth of the carbon emissions of the flight – 20kg compared with 137kg – but cost twice as much at £109 v £52.

Rail fares have risen steadily above inflation for well over a decade. A walk-up return ticket to travel on morning train services between London and Manchester now costs £369.40, while an off-peak return is £94.50 between the capital and northern England’s biggest city.

The government has not announced a decision on further rail fare increases, but should they follow the RPI+1% formula the cost could increase by another 4.8% in January. Ministers are keen to reduce rail subsidy after spending an additional £8bn to cover lost revenue during the pandemic.

Passenger numbers have returned to around 65% of pre-Covid levels, according to the latest Department for Transport figures.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Business

FG, states, LGs share N1.678trn for February – FAAC

The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), has shared N1.678 trillion among the Federal Government, states and the Local Government Councils (LGCs) for the month of February.

This is according to a communiqué issued by FAAC and made available by Bawa Mokwa, the Director, Press and Public Relations, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF).

According to the communiqué, the total revenue of N1.678 trillion comprised statutory revenue of N827.633 billion and Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue of N 609.430 billion.

It also comprised Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) revenue of N35.171 billion, Solid Minerals revenue of N28.218 billion and Augmentation of N178 billion.

It said that a total gross revenue of N2.344 trillion was available in the month of February.

“Total deduction for cost of collection was N89.092 billion while total transfers, interventions, refunds and savings was N577.097 billion,’” it said.

The FAAC issued communiqué said that gross statutory revenue of N1.653 trillion was received for the month of February, which was lower than the sum of N1.848 trillion received in January by N194.664 billion.

It said that gross revenue of N654.456 billion was available from VAT in February, lower than the N771.886 billion available in January by N117.430 billion.

The communiqué said that from the total distributable revenue of N1.678 trillion, the Federal Government received total sum of N569.656 billion and the state governments received total sum of N562.195 billion.

It said that the LGCs received total sum of N410.559 billion, and a total sum of N136.042 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting states as derivation revenue.

“On the N827.633 billion statutory revenue, the Federal Government received N366.262 billion and the state governments received N185.773 billion.

“The LGCs received N143.223 billion and the sum of N132.374 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting states as derivation revenue,” the communiqué said.

It said that from the N609.430 billion VAT revenue, the Federal Government received N91.415 billion, the state governments received N304.715 billion and the LGCs received N213.301 billion.

“A total sum of N5.276 billion was received by the Federal Government from the N35.171 billion EMTL. The state governments received N17.585 billion and the LGCs received N12.310 billion.

“From the N28.218 billion Solid Minerals revenue, the Federal Government received N12.933 billion and the state governments received N6.560 billion.

“The LGCs received N5.057 billion and a total sum of N3.668 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting States as derivation revenue,’” it said.

It said that Oil and Gas Royalty and EMTL, increased significantly while VAT, Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT), Companies Income Tax, Excise Duty, Import Duty and CET Levies recorded decrease.

Continue Reading

Business

NNPCL refutes explosion rumour at Port Harcourt refinery, confirms containment

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has debunked reports of an explosion at the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) in Rivers State.

In a statement issued on March 19, 2025, Olufemi O. Soneye, Chief Corporate Communications Officer, clarified that the event was a flare incident, which has been fully contained without posing any danger to staff, surrounding communities, or the environment.

“There is no danger or health hazard to staff, the surrounding communities, or the environment,” NNPC said in the statement

The company therefore urged the public and media to disregard false claims of an explosion at the refinery, emphasizing that operations remain unaffected.

The NNPC Ltd also reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and safety in its operations.

Continue Reading

Business

Rising data costs will worsen Nigeria’s connectivity gap – CITAD warns

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has raised concerns over the increasing cost of internet data in Nigeria, warning that it further widens the country’s existing digital divide.

The centre argued that the increase in data will leave many underserved communities without access to essential online services.

Haruna Adamu Hadeija, the Coordinator of Community Network, CITAD, revealed this while speaking at a press briefing held at the CITAD office in Kano on Monday.

He emphasized the impact of rising data costs on marginalized communities.

According to Hadeija, the 50% tariff increase on data, calls, and SMS approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has made it increasingly difficult for communities already struggling with poor connectivity to access the internet.

“Now that data charges have been jerked up by 50%, students and parents in underserved areas have to ‘dearly’ pay to enable their children to learn online,” Hadeija said.

“This cost hike not only widens the existing connectivity gap but also makes digital liberation nearly impossible for millions of Nigerians.”

Hadeija noted that while Nigeria has made strides in expanding internet access, an estimated 27.91 million people in 97 underserved communities still lack internet access, according to a 2022 report by the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF).

He highlighted how this lack of connectivity continues to disenfranchise students, youth, and women, particularly those in rural areas.

“In regions where internet access is absent, parents must send their children far from home just to register for computer-based tests, conduct exams, and check their results. It is unfair that many communities are left behind because they cannot afford internet services,” he added.

The CITAD coordinator stressed the need for urgent policy interventions to address the widening digital divide.

He called on the Minister for Digital Economy to officially recognize community networks as an additional layer of connectivity providers in the country.

“We urge the USPF to support local communities with grants to deploy their own connectivity initiatives. These community networks are not competitors to Mobile Network Operators (MNOs); they are complementary solutions to bridge the existing connectivity gap,” Hadeija appealed.

CITAD also proposed capacity-building initiatives to empower local communities in resource mobilization and sustainability to create self-sufficient, community-centered networks.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending