ARBÖ calls for a car relief package

ARBÖ calls for a car relief package

Since the summer months, a real cost explosion has been observed at local gas stations: within just a few months, the average price for diesel and Super 95 rose by around 40 percent. Individual gas stations are now already scratching the 2 euro limit for a liter of gasoline. There is no sign of a trend reversal; rather, it is more likely that the price of crude oil and thus fuel prices will remain at this level.

For Peter Rezar, President of the ARBÖ federal organization, this is an unacceptable situation: "It is now only a matter of time before the 2 euro sound barrier is broken for the first time. The burden on drivers is increasing day by day. We cannot accept this and are therefore calling for an end to the rip-off of drivers." The rising costs primarily affect sections of the population who rely on their own car and have no alternatives in the form of high-quality public transport: commuters, shift workers, pensioners and residents of rural areas are forced to pay more for their car. The announced climate bonus doesn't help either, as Rezar explains: "With current fuel prices and the exorbitant tax burden, even the highest climate bonus is quickly used up. This is not only intended to cushion the rising fuel costs, but also the costs for heating oil. At the current prices, 200 euros in relief are quickly gone."

Instead, the ARBÖ is calling for massive and sustainable relief for drivers: "As long as no real alternatives are available, it is simply unfair and not social for drivers to have their money taken out of their pockets. Instead of constant new burdens, we are therefore calling for social compensation in the form of a massive relief package that goes beyond the climate bonus and makes unrestricted mobility possible and, above all, affordable. And also the CO2 that has been announced for next year₂-Pricing should be postponed or lifted. This means that the next wave of stress for drivers is already looming,” concludes Peter Rezar.