One social media wag suggested that it was just as well the fuel duty hike was delayed – it would save on ministerial fuel necessary for all the recent government U-turns…
Was the Chancellor going to do anything else? I doubt it.
In a tricky place, somewhere between a rock and a hard place, the Government strapped on its body armour, crashed into the hard place, and abandoned its 3p fuel duty hike that was due to take place this August.
Huzzah!
Indeed. There was a collective sigh of relief from the Fleet Alliance office staff when the announcement came through yesterday.
Who wouldn’t be happy? After all, whether you were a business owner considering the rise in your fleet fuel bill or a private driver wondering how to make the necessary savings to take in the price increase, the news was truly welcome.
Because it’s not just 3p is it? Once VAT is added, the rise is actually 4p a litre. Ouch!
However, we shouldn’t get too euphoric about the news: the rise has been delayed only, to January 2013. (I’m sorry if that sounds bah! Humbug…)
But the delay does mean more time to plan for the increase.
So how do you get your fleet into shape? Here are a few of my tips:
Although the Government is simply delaying the inevitable, it’s still something to be welcomed – for both businesses and individual drivers. But businesses should make hay while the sun shines – as a well-optimsed fleet is better prepared for subsequent price hikes.
I’ve gone all bah! Humbug again, haven’t I?
One social media wag suggested that it was just as well the fuel duty hike was delayed – it would save on ministerial fuel necessary for all the recent government U-turns… Was the Chancellor going to do anything else? I doubt it. In a tricky place, somewhere between a rock and a hard place, the … Continued
Getting your team onside is always crucial to success don’t you think? Just look at what’s been happening in the Euro 2012 qualification rounds. Holland, one of the top four favourites to win, have gone out without scoring a point. Tales from within the Dutch camp suggest dissatisfaction in the side, deep fissures dividing both … Continued
Le Mans. It’s a bit like Marmite: you either love it or loathe it. Actually, I suspect all motorsport is rather like Marmite. Personally, it doesn’t do it for me. But I have friends who visit Le Mans for the famous 24 Hour race (you know the one made famous by Steve McQueen in the … Continued
Remember 2002? I have to admit, I was still in shorts at the time but my fellow directors tell me about it… Sorry. That was uncalled for. Anyway, 2002: a freeze frame in the company car tax time line. It was that seminal moment when we moved from the sub-£20k company car special, when tax … Continued
No doubt many of you will be looking at your payslips and suddenly realising the impact of the Chancellor’s change to the company car tax rules on your take home pay. “Thanks George,” you probably muttered. Or, perhaps, something even a little stronger… But amongst all the rumblings of driver discontent, and the commentary about … Continued
Threatened tanker strikes, Jerry can gaffes, queues at fuel stations as drivers rushed to fill up, changing government advice…and that’s before we even had a strike. What a strange, frothed up concoction the recent fuel ‘crisis’ was. Despite the ephemeral basis for the run on fuel, drivers’ fears of being caught short of fuel was … Continued
Well now, the Chancellor gave us plenty to think about for company cars in his Budget. There’s extra cost – fuel goes up 3p per litre in August (proving that my sneaking suspicion aired in my last blog was, shall we say, wide of the mark). There’s stretching new company car tax targets if drivers … Continued
The Budget. It’s the one moment in the year when UK PLC suddenly concentrates on the economy – usually for a ‘what’s-in-it-for-me’ reason. Mmmm. OK, me too, actually. No harm in that of course. But what should we make of this year’s Budget? The Chancellor will be presenting the Budget on Wednesday 21 March and … Continued
I attended a conference recently where there was something that really caught my attention: a presentation on the new Vauxhall Ampera, which goes on sale this year. If you’ve not come across the Ampera before it’s a really exciting development in low emission car technology – and I’m not talking the latest green sandals here. … Continued
Thankfully the days are getting longer and brighter; which is just as well because media headlines are getting gloomier and gloomier, darker and darker… Please – just give me a break from all this doom-mongering. The Governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, caught my ear with his speech on the economic recovery being … Continued