AS the nation collectively gets up off the floor following the near-knockout blow delivered by last week´s Budget, it is motorists who will be feeling particularly sore this week.

In a callous move, the Finance Minister decided to hit commuters hard in the pocket by whacking an enormous 8 cent per litre increase on the price of petrol. For the many commuters who drive 80, 100 or 120 miles a day to work as a direct result of this government´s Wild West approach to planning it will mean a hefty increase in their weekly costs, or perhaps a considered purchase of a new diesel instead.

Take poor old Motormouth as an example. I drive to work in the city from the country. I live in West Cork. There is a bus from my nearest village (5 miles away) that takes about 2 hours to get to Cork (it´s a 45 minute drive). From the city centre I´d have to then get another bus and then walk the last bit because the business park where I work doesn´t do buses. My daily commute which at present takes me 45 minutes each way would, by public transport, at a conservative estimate take me 3 hours each way or a daily round trip of 6 hours.

There is of course, no prospect whatsoever of a rail service to West Cork, despite the fact that the British managed to supply one with ease. I could work from home, but I can´t get broadband which I would need and there is no prospect of it being delivered to my area for years (something that was ignored in the Budget). So my options would seem to be either travel six hours a day to get to work or sell up and move. If I’m not in negative equity already I soon will be so that´s not an option either.

Never mind, at least the roads will get better wont they? Well not exactly. Despite their pre-budget spiel about continuing to invest in infrastructure so we are ready for the upturn, they´ve only gone and done exactly the opposite. If you aren´t going to Dublin you may as well take a hike because every badly needed new road project in Cork has been axed.