Those who want to complain about today's 2p rise in fuel duty might like to consider a couple of things.

Firstly fuel prices, even with the additional 2p, are still lower in real (inflation adjusted) terms than they were 10 or 20 years ago. In other words a tank full of petrol costs a smaller proportion of your wage packet today than it did then - plus your car is probably more efficient and goes further on it. In the same periods we have seen public transport fares rise by well above the inflation rate, and rural bus services slashed.

Little wonder that traffic in Cornwall has grown by a massive 22% in ten years.

The second point is that whatever you may think of it, the fuel duty is a tax, and if it wasn't on fuel then the government would have to raise the money somewhere else to provide the roads, schools, hospitals and weapons of mass destruction that you need. Personally I would rather pay an extra penny on petrol (and yes I do still drive a car) where I have some choice about how much I use, than pay another penny on every pound I earn in income tax.

If I am being taxed on my petrol use then I am being taxed for my pollution and I have an incentive to pollute less.

What we really need is for the government to do some joined up thinking and spend some of the money it is raising on getting the cost to the passenger of using public transport back to the levels it was 20 years ago; this would stimulate passenger growth and make re-opening lost bus routes economically viable.We used to have rural buses, and we used to use them; there is no reason why we couldn't have them again if we want.

Will there be a politician bold enough to stand against increased car usage come the election?