Latest Fuel News

Fleet and Haulage companies could be facing a 50% rise in fuel duty in future years to cover a £13bn hole in Treasury coffers, according to a report.

The huge gap in public finances will come from increasing use of more fuel-efficient cars and electric vehicles, the RAC has said.

It added that while the fuel duty collected by the Exchequer stands at 1.7% of gross domestic product (GDP), this rate will tumble to 1.1% of GDP by 2029.

The report says that vehicle excise duty (VED) would also drop over this period, from 0.4% of GDP to 0.1%, with the combined fall leading to the £13 billion shortfall.

Asda one of the supermarket giants has kicked off a fuel price war after promising to cut fuel prices by up to 2p-a-litre from today.

It means that motorists filling up at any of its forecourts will pay no more than 134.7p for petrol and 139.7p for diesel.

Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Tesco all announced they would be cutting fuel prices similarly as a result.

All three retail giants use regional pricing policies to determine what they charge based on geographical location and competition, that means drivers in different parts of the country are not necessarily paying the same price for exactly the same product.

Trading Standards are starting a bid to help motorists to feel certain they are getting a full measure of fuel when they fill up their vehicle.

Officers have launched a new scheme in Cumbria involving 40 independent petrol retailers.

Regular and unscheduled accuracy tests on fuel pumps have been taking place across the county to make sure they are delivering the correct amount and charging the right price.

Recent months have seen the cost of fuel reach record levels and in certain rural areas of Cumbria petrol and diesel prices are higher than the national average.

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has published the 17th edition of its annual European Road Transport Guide for UK-based road haulage operators visiting countries in the EU and beyond.

With its updated country sections the new guide uses regional profiles to equip transport managers with the information needed to avoid delays and deal effectively with roadside enforcement, often one of the terrors of overseas haulage. Amended information on public holidays, weekend lorry bans, toll prices and other essential facts for fleet operators in both the own account and hire and reward sectors are included and this year Liechtenstein and Monaco have been added to the list of countries covered.

Utility companies that take too long to complete their road works will face higher fines, Transport Minister Norman Baker has announced.

All utility companies that dig up streets and roads must agree a fixed time line for their works with local councils. If works continue over this period and it has not negotiated with the local council then they face a ‘penalty charge’ for each additional the road works that are still there.

Lack of Sleep and fatigue is one of the main causes of serious accidents, particularly on the UK’s motorways. Development of new technology by Bosch means that tiredness can be now be identified electronically, with characteristic types of steering wheel movement showing that a driver is suffering form fatigue.

Using intelligent sensor technology, driver assistance systems consistetly monitor the vehicle surroundings as well as the driving behaviour to detect potentially dangerous situations at an early stage. In critical driving situations, these systems warn, notify the driver and, if necessary, intervene automatically in an effort to avoid an accident.

The minicab firm fighting for the right to use London bus lanes has lost its contract with the Government terminated.

From Tomorrow, Addison Lee cars will no longer be used by ministers and civil servants following company chairman John Griffin’s advice to his drivers earlier this month to use London bus lanes illegally.

John Collington, the Government official in charge of all contracts, said: “We expect all private hire vehicles in London to adhere to the prohibition on using bus lanes. In regard to Addison Lee, the only existing Government contract with the company will expire at the end of this month and is not being renewed.”

The Leading UK-based Fuel Card company, Forecourt Fuel Cards, has today announced the results of a survey of business drivers whose attitudes towards fuel consumption has changed, in light of spiraling fuel costs.

The findings clearly show how fleet managers and drivers attitude towards fuel consumption has evolved sharply to accommodate the recent fuel price hikes.

With UK fuel prices at record highs, the survey highlights the changes that UK business drivers have made to reduce their overall spend on fuel.

Volkswagen Fleet Services has launched a new CO2 emissions price list, making it simple and quick for a fleet manager or driver to find a car that suits their needs.

Volkswagen’s first fleet price guide based on CO2 emissions was launched in 2009, detailing all the cars in the company’s range with a carbon dioxide output of under 160 g/km. It included information on P11D values and corresponding Benefit in Kind tax implications and proved a useful tool for fleet managers designing choice lists based on emissions, as well as drivers keen to select an appropriate vehicle for their requirements and budget. It was later supplemented by a sub-120g/km version.

Unite will return to talks at Acas today as well as a re-ballot of more than 530 tanker drivers working for Hoyer Petrolog in the ongoing dispute over minimum standards.

The talks follow an agreement by five companies involved in the dispute to extend the union’s ballot mandate until Tuesday April 24. The agreement lifts the need for Unite to give seven days’ notice of a limited one-hour stoppage today. All six employers will be involved in the talks.

The re-ballot came as concerns were raised that a number of members did not receive ballot papers. The union will be balloting members who deliver fuel for Shell and Esso from 26 April to 8 May.