Warning to UK drivers over new driving laws that could be announced this month – don’t get caught out
UK drivers have been warned over a number of new driving laws that could be announced this month.
The changes could see millions of drivers facing higher costs on the road.
The most immediate concern is the Government consultation on fuel standards, which ends on November 10.
This will determine whether the UK adopts EU rules further restricting the emissions levels of new cars.
The Euro 6e standards have been widely backed by manufacturers and are expected to take effect in the wake of the consultation.
This will keep us in line with European environmental standards but could add cost during the manufacturing process.
Speaking of adding cost, perhaps the most major change comes in the form of reports that the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, is planning to end the decade-long freeze on fuel duty in his upcoming Autumn Budget.
Treasury officials are said to be encouraging Mr Hunt to push the charge, which taxes the purchase of petrol, diesel, biodiesel and bioethanol on top of VAT, according to The Telegraph.
The Sun’s Keep It Down campaign has had a hand in keeping this rate frozen at 57.95p per litre since 2011, but it now seems that it will rise this month.
Mr Hunt is believed to be mulling the announcement of a 2p increase in his statement on November 22, which would see an extra £5 million a year added to motorists’ bills and funnelled into the Treasury.
Fuel prices are already much higher than pre-pandemic levels due to rampant inflation, while the cost of living crisis has hit Brits hard.
Data from the RAC puts unleaded petrol at an average of 156.14p per litre including VAT as of October 16, compared to 127.57p on the same day in 2019.
In real terms, since the average fuel tank is around 50 litres, this represents a price rise of £14.28 for a full tank.
And diesel drivers have it even worse, with prices now at an average of 162.43p per litre compared to 131.74p in 2019, meaning a real-terms rise of £15.34 per tank.
The Autumn Statement could also include a win for drivers, with The AA calling on the Government to use it to boost funding for dealing with potholes and the damage they cause.
The Association said that the cash injection is “desperately needed” after one of the worst years on record for pothole-related breakdowns.
A spokesperson said: “We know that longer-term funding has been pledged from HS2 savings but the Chancellor has the opportunity to give some short-term pothole relief by announcing more cash for roads in his Autumn Statement.”
The Chancellor is reported to be considering this, as well as potentially providing more details on the delay to the ban on new petrol and diesel car sales, which was pushed back from 2030 to 2035.
However, ministers are pushing ahead with the ZEV Mandate, which will require 80% of new vehicles sold to be electric by 2030 anyway.
The Treasury has been contacted for comment.
It comes after a carpenter revealed how he transformed an old horsebox into the world’s most luxurious truck.
Meanwhile, Leonardo DiCaprio’s Lamborghini which was wrecked in 2013’s The Wolf of Wall Street has been put up for auction at a jaw-dropping price.