Thursday 25 March 2010

Motorists hit by budget announcement – the Good Garage Scheme highlights how it’ll affect you.

Yesterday the 2010 Budget speech was delivered to the House of Commons, announcing that motorists will be hit by a rise in fuel duty. With pump prices soaring, Alistair Darling did offer a small measure of respite for motorists by staggering the 2.76p increase which is due to come into force next week.

  • one pence per litre on 1 April 2010
  • one pence per litre on 1 October 2010
  • 0.76 pence per litre on 1 January 2011

With this increase in mind, the cost of filling a car is set to hit a new high. According to the AA, drivers are set to pay an average of 121p per litre for unleaded this Easter, breaking the 119.7p record which was set in July 2008. By the end of next week filling the tank of a small family car will cost on average £2 more.

Despite the rise in fuel prices, you may find driving a slightly smoother experience. An investment of £285 million will be made to improve capacity in the road network, including allowing motorists to use the hard shoulder at busy times. The budget has also planned for £100 million to be distributed to local authorities to repair roads damaged by recent bad weather. A rise in potholes has caused countless problems for motorists. It is reported that 1.4 million road craters were filled over the past year – a rise of 40%. But with the cost of fixing a pothole averaging at £99, and reports of over two million potholes in the UK, the budget is not going far enough to help motorists.

To view the 2010 Budget, visit http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/Budget/Budget2010/DG_186500

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