As petrol prices hit record highs in Australia motorists struggle to cope with the increased cost. In June 2008 the pump price of unleaded petrol rose to $1.71 per litre in some metropolitan areas. This was up from an average of $1.41 per litre just 12 weeks earlier according to Australian Institute of Petroleum reports.

Javier Lopez takes the train to work each day. "You're damned if you do, and you're damned if you don't," he said about using his car to commute. The price of petrol is too high but the trains are infrequent, never run on time and are overcrowded." Javier is one of the growing numbers of people demanding the Government pay serious attention to viable alternatives.

A Department of Infrastructure survey in 2007 supported the views of commuters when it found chronic overcrowding on suburban train lines. The survey reported a growth in patronage of 18 percent since 2005 compared with a 3.9 percent per annum growth in the decade from 1995.

The Bicycle Federation of Australia is promoting cycling as a sustainable solution to higher petrol prices and The Public Transport Users Association is lobbying for "a fully integrated, seamless, network with short waiting times and easy transfers." They compare the poor state of public transport infrastructure in Victoria with the highly efficient systems that exist in parts of Europe and criticize successive governments for their lack of foresight.

As consumer discontent with high oil prices grows, Australian politicians are beginning to respond. The Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, was reported in the Age on June 6 as saying, "Better public transport is part of the answer to soaring petrol prices." Four days later he announced Toyota will receive federal grants of $35 million to produce a hybrid Camry in Australia, with the first cars due to roll off the production line in 2010.

The Victorian State government have committed to adding services to overcrowded suburban train lines and is investigating expanding the rail network. These medium term initiatives provide no immediate relief for motorists who cannot reduce their petrol use; instead these motorists are changing their purchasing behaviour to take advantage of discount offers on fuel purchases.

The retail petroleum industry in Australia has a weekly price discount cycle which is tracked by motoring associations and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, (ACCC). Motorists are accessing these price trend reports online to determine

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