Allianz pro Schiene, Germany’s not-for-profit rail transport association, on Tuesday called upon the Germany government not to go ahead with a reduction in fuel tax, saying Berlin should emphasise a reduction in overal energy use instead.

The German government is considering lowering its fuel tax in an effort the cushion the impact of ever increasing petrol prices. Late last week, the Dutch government announced a reduction in fuel taxes. France and Belgium earlier this week followed suit.

“Elevated energy and petrol prices affect all citizens, even those without a car”, Allianz pro Schiene managing director Dirk Flege said. “People tend to forget that shifting to energy-efficient means of transport is the most effective way to keep mobility affordable”.

With that in mind, Allianz pro Schiene points to the increased cost of electricity, which it say has tripled over the past 1,5 year, compared with ‘only’ an 80-percent uptick in the price of diesel fuel. As such, the government should consider scrapping its tax on traction power. According to Flege the German tax is the highest in Europe at 1,14 eurocents per kilowatt hour. “The federal government must finally act so that more people and goods can be shifted to rail”.

This article was originally published on RailTech.com, our sister publication.