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What’s on motorists’ minds?
Transparency over the prices
charged for fuel at motorway
services has also been an important
issue facing drivers in recent years.
Progress in tackling this problem
has been frustratingly slow, despite
firm commitments from both the
previous coalition Government
and the current Conservative
administration to take action.
More than three years ago, the
Office of Fair Trading recommended
installing signs on the motorway
network to show fuel prices
at upcoming service stations:
this proposal was intended to
allow drivers to shop around
more easily, thereby increasing
competition between retailers and
driving down what were thought
to be excessively high prices.
The coalition originally promised
that a trial of such signs on the M5
near Bristol would begin in early
2015. But a succession of delays
meant the pilot scheme was not
introduced until March this year.
Moreover, initial results from this
trial have been disappointing, with
little if any reduction in fuel prices
reported across the motorway
service stations involved.
Lower petrol and diesel prices
have had little significant impact
on how much motorists feel they
are spending on fuel: just 31%
of those surveyed say they are
spending more on filling up than
12 months ago compared with
32% who say their expenditure is
falling. The respective figures in
2015 were 31% and 33%. However,
lower pump prices may simply
result in some motorists using
their cars more, thus offsetting
any benefit of the price reduction.
34
%
of motorists say their
expenditure on fuel is falling
31
%
of motorists surveyed say they
are spending more on filling up
than 12 months ago
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RAC Report on Motoring 2016