Money

New cars 'should use less fuel'

Sarah Coles — 2013-06-18T10:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Motoring

Most people believe car manufacturers could make their vehicles more fuel-efficient, according to a new study.

Three out of four said more could be done to improve fuel efficiency, while 42% agreed that stricter fuel-efficiency standards were a good idea, a survey of more than 1,000 adults for Greenpeace found.

Sara Ayech, climate campaigner with Greenpeace, said: "The results from this research couldn't be any clearer.

"Unfortunately, as documents recently published by Greenpeace show, the coalition Government has failed to support European-wide legislation that would reduce polluting emissions.

"We have had four years of green rhetoric from the coalition Government. The time has now come for fewer words and a lot more action."

The report was published on the eve of a meeting at the EU, where member states will agree a position for final negotiations on car CO2 emissions.

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UK 'whiplash capital of the world'

Press Association — 2013-06-17T12:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Motoring

Britain is the "whiplash capital of the world", insurers have told MPs.

The UK's civil litigation system and wider compensation culture had led to a steep rise in road accident whiplash injury claims in recent years, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) has told the House of Commons Transport Committee.

The motor insurance industry paid out £10.7 billion in claims in 2011, of which whiplash claims cost approximately £2.2 billion, said the ABI in written evidence to the committee.

The ABI said that while there were a number of factors that affected the price of a premium, and individual insurers priced their policies differently, the cost of claims was highly indicative of the overall level of premium that an average motorist can expect to pay. It added that the average paid premium in 2011 was £440. With whiplash claims representing 20% of overall claims expenditure, this represents approximately £90 of the average premium.

The ABI, which is giving oral evidence to the committee later on Monday, said in its written evidence: "There are a number of contributing factors that have led to the rise in whiplash claims. The first factor is the dysfunctional compensation system which has led to a growing compensation culture in the UK.

"Aggressive marketing by claims management companies and referral fees paid by claimant solicitors (banned from April 1 this year), have led to an increasing number of personal injury claims in general, and whiplash claims specifically."

Answering in its written evidence the question: "Is it correct in describing Great Britain as the 'whiplash capital of the world?', the ABI replied: "Yes". It went on: "Although the lack of an objective test for minor whiplash injuries is an international problem, it is the UK's civil litigation system and wider compensation culture which has led to the steep rise in whiplash claims in recent years."

The ABI added that little had changed since 2004 when Europe-wide research showed that the UK had twice the average percentage of whiplash claims as a proportion of personal injury claims compared with the European average. It added that latest figures show that "the UK (78%) still has substantially higher than average percentage of whiplash claims as a proportion of personal injury claims, than our EU counterparts (48%)".

Among the many groups that have also submitted written evidence on whiplash to the committee is the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL), which is also due to present oral evidence to MPs.

In its written evidence, the APIL, asked whether Britain was the world's whiplash capital, replied: "The Government's only source for this assertion appears to be a report from the Comite Europeen des Assurances which is nine years old and relies on figures which are even older than that."

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Commuters ditch rip-off railways

Hannah Ricci — 2013-06-17T09:45:00+00:00

Filed under: Motoring

Fed up with delays, overcrowding and rising ticket prices, more and more people are turning their back on train travel, according to figures from the government rail watchdog.

There were five million fewer train journeys in the first three months of this year compared to 2012 - the first fall in three years.

The figures suggest that the latest round of fare hikes, which increased journey prices by an average 4.2% from January, have finally forced many disgruntled passengers to ditch Britain's abysmal train service.

The new figures from watchdog, the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), show that between January and March this year some 381.4 million journeys were made on franchised routes.

Regional train operators witnessed a 3.2% drop - from 87.2 million to 84.4 million, while long distance journeys fell 2.5% - from 31.9 million to 31.1 million.

Late again
The figures follow a critical report of Network Rail by the ORR revealing that the firm missed all of its punctuality targets across England and Wales.

Network Rail was blamed for 61% of all trains running late over the last year and faces a £75million fine.

In a row between the regulator and Network Rail last week, the firm was ordered to not only meet new punctuality targets - but also to save £2bn from its five year spending plans.

The regulator also said it will expect higher standards of management of the network's infrastructure as well as improved safety for passengers and railway workers.

The ORR said that savings on spending for the period could be achieved ''through the implementation of new technologies, better management of the railways and more efficient ways of working''.

Passenger pocket
While the ORR piles on the pressure for Network Rail to improve services, campaign groups are urging for action on fares.

Richard Hebditch, Campaigns Director for the Campaign for Better Transport, said: "There is a clear implication in the ORR's report that it is time for the Government to use these savings to end above inflation fare rises.

"Ministers have promised to end such rises when cost savings are identified - the ORR has provided the evidence, now Ministers must act."

Sky-high fares are pricing thousands of commuters off the railways altogether, with many forced to consider cheaper alternatives such as car sharing or arranging flexible working from home.

Season ticket prices have risen by as much as 50% in the past decade, according to Passenger Focus, accounting for up to 23% of gross salaries.

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Traffic warden targets funeral cortege

Adrian Holliday — 2013-06-12T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Motoring

A traffic warden slapped a £130 penalty charge notice on a funeral car claiming it was breaching loading restrictions. The vehicle was waiting outside St Saviours Church in Lewisham High Street, South London, part of a funeral cortege for an 85-year-old dead man.

Lewisham Council has apologised. But there is growing concern about alleged traffic fine council abuse on the public.

Distress

"We wouldn't let them put a ticket on the car in front of the family," Nicki Dunphy, who runs William Dunphy funeral directors, told South London News Shopper on the Lewisham funeral cortege incident, "but she just carried on and did it even though they were very distressed."

More recently a motorist forced Bristol City Council to apologise after he was fined for pulling into a bus lane to let two fire engines pass his car.

The episodes highlight how traffic fines have become increasingly useful for hard-up councils. For example, documents from London's Hammersmith and Fulham Council, via a Freedom of Information request, lays bare fine targets for this borough's traffic enforcement team in a BBC TV program tonight.

'Another record month'

Panorama will show, it claims, how Hammersmith and Fulham council officials apparently congratulate each other on the number of tickets raised - "Another record month, guys. Well done," one is quoted in the program blurb - and visits the box junction known as the 'Money Box', where 29,000 council fines were issued last year.

Motoring law specialist Jeanette Miller, told the Guardian that this borough's approach "is completely contradictory to the purpose that the local authorities are supposed to serve. Their job is to reduce the number of contraventions."

According to the Insititute of Advanced Motorists, councils across England hauled in £411m in fines in 2012, up £53m from 2011. Westminster took £38m, up 8.7% on 2011, while the biggest earner outside London was Brighton & Hove, grabbing £13.7m, up almost 19% on the previous year.

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Survey: Car costs concern motorists

Press Association — 2013-06-11T05:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Motoring

Car costs and potholes are the main moan for motorists, with most drivers reckoning road conditions are worsening, according to an RAC survey.

The cost of driving was the biggest concern for 49% of motorists, with 41% saying maintenance of local roads and motorways is their top spending priority.

As many as 84% of the 1,542 drivers polled believed their local roads were deteriorating and 75% thought the same about motorways and other major roads.

Also, 78% thought the money they paid to Government through motoring taxes was not properly invested in local roads. A total of 29% were prepared to pay tolls for motorway driving, while 33% backed city-centre congestion charges as long as the cost of fuel and car tax was significantly reduced.
As many as 89% said they relied more than ever on their vehicles for daily activities, while 77% claimed they were struggling to make ends meet because of the cost of fuel.

The survey also found that 77% would prefer to pay pay less fuel tax and 49% would like to pay lower levels of car tax.

RAC technical director David Bizley said: "Our report on motoring shows that Britain's motorists - and roads - have been left battle-scarred after a further 12 months of bearing the burden of extreme financial conditions.

"Despite this, motorists are willing to pay their taxes, but want the balance of levies to reflect how they live and how the use their vehicle. The report suggests that motorists would prefer to see a higher share of motoring taxation levied on those things over which they have greater control - such as whether or not they choose to drive into city centres or use a particular motorway."

He continued: "Our research shows that UK motorists aren't being unreasonably demanding. All they want is for more of their motoring taxation to be spent on roads."

"What's needed is an in-depth review of the overall motoring taxation model and for a reasonable percentage of money raised from drivers to be ring-fenced for roads."

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2.6 million drivers could face £1,000 fine

Sarah Coles — 2013-06-07T10:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Motoring

There's a simple mistake that 2.6 million drivers in the UK have fallen foul of, which could land them with a £1,000 fine.

So what is the mistake, are you at risk, and why is the penalty so high?

Paperwork

The issue, highlighted by Direct Line Car Insurance, is that millions of us have out-of-date information on our driving licences. The most common out-of-date data is an old address. Some 7% of people ( which equates to 2.6 million motorists) have not informed the DVLA that they have moved house.

Next is the fact that 3% of married women still have their maiden name on their driving licence, and 2% of motorists admit they should have informed the DVLA about a notifiable medical condition, such as physical disability or visual impairment, since their current licence was issued.

Rob Miles, head of Motor at Direct Line, commented: "British motorists have a duty to update the DVLA of any change of name or address or of any medical condition that could affect their ability to drive, but it seems that many motorists simply don't realise they are breaking the terms of their licence."

He added: "Millions of drivers have an old name or address on their driving licence, and while this won't affect their car insurance cover, having incorrect information on their licence puts them at risk of a large fine if their licence is ever checked by the police. We urge motorists to ensure their licence information is up to date and that their licence is current."

Penalties

The penalty for failing to update information is severe, especially when you compare it to the cost: normally it costs £20 to renew your licence, but if you're just changing a name or address you can do it for free.

There are a few reasons why the penalties are so high. Most importantly if you commit an offence, the police or the council will use the address on the DVLA database to track you down. Their lives become much more difficult if you have used the wrong address or name, so they want to encourage us to keep it updated.

There's also the fact that the driving licence is a commonly-used form of identification. Having the wrong information on there allows you to use it to prove a false identity, so the penalty is designed to discourage this too.

Most people with the wrong information on their licence aren't trying to outrun the police or prove a fake identity - they were just overwhelmed by all the other admin required in a major life change like a house move or a wedding. However, this should prove a timely reminder that even though it doesn't seem like the most vital thing to update, it might just work out as the most expensive thing to neglect.

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465,000 Ford cars recalled: what it means for you

Sarah Coles — 2013-06-04T06:54:00+00:00

Filed under: Motoring

Ford has announced that it is recalling 465,000 cars around the world, after it received over 600 complaints from customers about leaky fuel lines. To make matters worse, it doesn't have spare parts to repair all the cars it is recalling.

So what does it mean for you?

Which cars?

The models affected are all the 2013 models of the Fusion, Explorer, Taurus, Flex, Police Utility, Police Interceptor, and the Lincoln MKS, MKT and MKZ.

The BBC reported that the vast majority of them were sold in the US - where 390,000 of the vehicles are based. There's another 23,000 in Canada and 7,600 in Mexico. The other 45,000 are spread around the world, including the UK.

The Ford Fusion is one of the most popular new Ford models in the UK, so there are likely to be thousands of people affected.

The risk

The problem is a leak in the fuel delivery module. According to the Detroit News, which broke the story, a Ford Spokeswoman said: "The condition could result in customers detecting a fuel odor, or in some cases, observe evidence of a fuel leak on the ground. While a fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire, there have been no reports of fires. We are not aware of any accidents or injuries attributed to this condition."

To make matters worse, according to the Daily Mail, the company doesn't have enough replacement parts to repair them all immediately, so some customers will have to wait until September for a repair. However, the company has not suggested that there is any issue in driving the vehicles until replacement parts are available.

Ford also took the opportunity to recall 500 Lincoln MKZ cars in the US and Canada, because of a problem with the engine block heaters which can crack in cold weather. It also recalled 23 Ford Fusions in The US, Canada and Mexico, to fix steering gears which were made without a vital internal retaining clip.

What should you do?

If your car is affected, you will receive a letter, requesting that you have the car seen by a dealership as soon as possible. In the interim, if you are worried, you can call your local Ford dealer and ask if your car is affected. Alternatively you can input your car details online and Ford will tell you if there are any outstanding recalls on your car.

Recalls

It's the latest in a long line of recalls at Ford. Last year it recalled 1.4 million vehicles. This year it has already recalled 700,000. This is not the first time the Fusion has been the subject of a recall either. Towards the end of 2012 there was a recall over faulty headlamps and another for leaks in the coolant system.

It is far from the only motor company facing massive recalls. In April this year, Honda, Toyota, Mazda and Nissan were forced to recall 3.4 million cars around the world because of a problem with an airbag inflator.

Last month Nissan recalled another 800,000 over a problem with a bolt in the steering wheel. Toyota, meanwhile recalled 2.7 million vehicles in November 2012 over a steering wheel fault and 7.43 million in October over a problem with window switches.

The car companies say they learn vital lessons from every recall. The question is how much more learning do these companies need to do?

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Wetherspoon's defends M-way pub

Press Association — 2013-06-04T03:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Motoring

Pub chain JD Wetherspoon has defended its decision to open premises at a motorway service station, and said it would not be checking if drinkers were planning to drive.

Chairman Tim Martin said he hoped it would be the first of many such pubs on Britain's motorway network. It comes amid a Government consultation on lifting restrictions on alcohol sales at motorway service areas.

Wetherspoon's has been granted permission for a 24-hour bar and restaurant at junction 2 of the M40 at Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, which will have a licence to serve alcohol fom 8am to 1am seven days a week.

The pub, which has yet to be given a name, is expected to be open by Christmas.
A spokesman played down the idea that the opening was likely to lead to drink-driving, saying: "We don't see any problem."

The spokesman said much of Wetherspoon's sales came from food and that it also served non-alcoholic and hot drinks.

"We believe the majority of people that use the pub to drink will be people that aren't driving - coach parties or people travelling with others. We won't be asking them whether they are driving. It's up to them."

He pointed out that motorway drivers were already able to purchase alcohol easily if they wanted.

The company said it had received no objections to the plans after meeting representatives from Thames Valley Police and South Buckinghamshire District Council. It said the £2 million development with service area operator Extra would create 50 jobs.

Mr Martin said: "We are looking forward to opening our first licensed bar and restaurant on the motorway network. The company has always been innovative and this is an exciting new development for us. Hopefully it will be the first of many Wetherspoons on the motorway."

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Perth & Ilford - best and worst car crime

Adrian Holliday — 2013-06-03T11:45:00+00:00

Filed under: Motoring

Ilford and Romford have been crowned the UK's top car crime hotspots - locations where you're most likely to have your car nicked. West London is third in line behind the Essex towns. Outside London and Essex, Huddersfield and Leeds also do badly.

We'll look at the detail. But first, where are the places where your car is safest?

Perfect Perth?

According to Money Supermarket, Perth, Shrewsbury and Carlisle are among those least likely to have made a claim. Harrogate comes behind this troika while Exeter, Norwich and Plymouth take fifth, sixth and seventh place.

"While there are clearly some areas of the country with a higher proportion of insurance claims for car crime than others," says Peter Harrison, car insurance expert from MoneySupermarket, "this doesn't actually mean the area is rife with crime."

"Thieves often specifically target areas with a high number of cars parked on the street, such as urban areas where space is at a premium and fewer houses have garages. Alternatively quieter areas can often be targeted, where there's not a lot of passing traffic, where the rewards are potentially greater and the risk of being caught in the act may be lower."

The 10 UK postcode areas most likely to claim for car crime

Falling premiums?

The new numbers are a promotion, of sorts, for Chislehurst, Redbridge and Durham. Three places that have figured high in previous Supermarket car crime hotspot insurance claim surveys. And there's more good news. What this latest report doesn't state is that car crime rates are actually falling, and that means your car insurance should becoming cheaper - at least according to Money Supermarket.

"The average 'best price' on MoneySupermarket having fallen by 9.3% over the last year," claims Harrison. "This decrease may include individual areas with higher car crime, but reductions may not have been as great."

The 10 UK postcode areas least likely to claim for car crime

Reduce the odds of your car being nicked or broken into

Try and park in a driveway or garage if you can. If you're parking on the street, look for busier roads with a good amount of lighting and more passing traffic
If you're parking on the street at home, try and park the car near to your house and again, look for good lighting and think about how the area might look in the dark - parking under a streetlight is a good idea
Installing an alarm or steering wheel lock will also act as a deterrent for anyone looking for an easy target

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Most people use car to get to work

Press Association — 2013-06-03T09:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Motoring

Most people travel to work by car, showing how hard household budgets have been hit by rising fuel costs, according to a new report.

A study by the GMB union showed that two thirds of workers in England and Wales travelled by car, as a driver or passenger, almost 20% by public transport and one in 10 walked.
Separate figures for Northern Ireland showed that over four out of five people used a motor vehicle to get to work.

The GMB report, published ahead of the union's annual conference in Plymouth, noted that the price of unleaded petrol and diesel had almost doubled over the past decade.

General secretary Paul Kenny said: "These figures demonstrate why the massive hike in the price of fuel and of public transport has hit workers very hard. It is no wonder household budgets have taken a hammering."

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Church free parking challenged by atheists

Sarah Coles — 2013-06-03T06:47:00+00:00

Filed under: Motoring

The National Secular Society is taking Woking Council to court: challenging its policy of allowing church-goers to be exempt from paying to park in town on a Sunday morning.

So why is it doing this, and what does this mean for you?

Exempt

The anomaly came about when some councils started introducing Sunday parking charges. Those who attend churches with no car parks responded in anger, claiming it was a 'tax on worship'. The councils responded by enabling people to have parking permits validated in church, which means that those who are definitely attending church do not have to pay for their parking.

Woking Council provided ticket validating machines to three churches in the town: the Anglican Christ Church, evangelical Coign Church and Trinity Methodist Church. Church-goers simply validate their tickets at church and do not have to pay. Woking United Reform Church, meanwhile, gives out council-backed parking permits to churchgoers valid between 9.30am and 1pm on Sundays.

Discrimination

The NSS argues that this discriminates against non-worshipers, who believe their reasons for having to be in town on a Sunday are every bit as valid as those attending church. It has decided to bring a test case against Woking Council in the name of Keith Porteus Wood, executive director of the NSS, who paid £3 to park in Woking on Sunday 14 April.

The society's lawyers, Leigh Day, say that by exempting church-goers from rules that apply to everyone else, the council is discriminating, and is in breach of the Equality Act of 2010. It is taking action to force the council to either remove the exemption or make all parking in the town free on Sunday mornings.

Richard Stein, Human Rights Partner at Leigh Day, said in a statement: "Providing relief for parking charges to those going to church on a Sunday but not to those going shopping or to socialise with family or friends is unjustifiable. It is clear discrimination and we are calling on the Council to decide whether to allow everyone to park for free or to charge all equally."

The group claims that the scheme costs tax-payers £50,000 a year, and benefits a small segment of society. Wood said in a statement: "The equal treatment of all, regardless of belief or non-belief, is a key secular principle. We have launched this challenge to preferential treatment of worshippers because it is neither legitimate nor lawful for local government to subsidise the activities of any particular religion and belief group. It would be fairer if the Council either charged worshippers for parking, as they do everyone else, or provided free parking for all."

Woking's view, meanwhile, was made clear in a policy statement, which said: "Places of worship, and the faith communities that they serve, play an important role, both in society in general and Woking in particular. They encourage people to participate in society, thereby promoting social inclusion."

What it means for you

This is not a one-off challenge. A number of councils have this sort of scheme in operation, including those in Richmond, Ealing and Hampshire, and the NSS has said this is a test case. If it proves successful, they will move to have exemptions removed for churches across the country.

The impact on you will depend partly on how councils decide to resolve the issue. If they scrap charges for everyone, then the whole town can benefit.

However, there's a good chance that the councils will just remove the exemption, on the grounds it helps them make money. Newcastle City Council, for example, has scrapped its exemption for churches, arguing that it was in the interests of fairness - although of course the extra income (estimated at £25,000 a year) won't go amiss either.

If this is the case, church-goers will be out of pocket, everyone else will be no worse or better off, and the councils will have found yet another way to make money from motorists.

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The best and worst cars to own

lovemoney.com — 2013-05-29T08:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Motoring

Each year, What Car? magazine joins forces with market researchers at US firm JD Power and Associates to produce a wide-ranging survey of drivers' satisfaction with their cars.

This year, JD Power surveyed 16,000 UK car motorists, who together own 116 different models of car aged between one and three years old. Owners rated their cars on 66 criteria, which were then combined to deliver an overall score. Points given for reliability, performance, servicing and running costs are shown as a final percentage score.
Only models with over 4,000 sales and at least 50 completed online surveys were eligible for inclusion in the 2013 report. Together, these motorists had driven more than 340 million miles in their vehicles.

The ten worst cars to own
Let's take a look at this year's results, starting with the ten cars that fared worst in JD Power's survey. Here are the worst clunkers to own and drive:

As you can see, the worst-rated car in the whole JD Power survey is the Chevrolet Spark, scoring just 70.2% on the satisfaction scale, against the average rating of 77.6%. The other four cars in the bottom five are the Alfa Romeo MiTo (70.7%), Fiat Grande Punto/Punto Evo (72.0%), Ford Ka (72.2%) and Fiat Panda (73.7%).

Surprisingly, BMW has one car in this list of clunkers: the BMW X1, the baby SUV (sports utility vehicle) introduced in October 2009.

The ten worst car brands
As well as rating customer satisfaction by individual car model, JD Power also produces a list of the best and worst makes overall. Here are the bottom ten manufacturers:

As well as coming last in the car category, US manufacturer Chevrolet comes bottom of the brands, with a score of just 69.1%, versus the industry average of 77.6%. Other bad brands to own in the bottom five are Alfa Romeo (72.5%), Mitsubishi (74.5%), Peugeot (75%) and Fiat (75.4%).

The other members of this Hall of Shame are Vauxhall (75.6%), Suzuki (75.8%), Mazda (76.2%), Renault (76.6%) and Ford (77.1%). Then again, Ford and Vauxhall are the two biggest-selling car brands in the UK, so are likely to have millions of satisfied customers, as well plenty of critics.

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One warning about this survey
Although this is the most comprehensive yearly ownership study in the UK, it does have one minor flaw. All it takes for a vehicle to be included in this survey is 50 completed questionnaires from owners. For the least-sold models, one single survey could change the final percentage score by as much as 2%.

As a result a couple of disgruntled drivers could send a particular model plummeting down the rankings. That's why I'd like to see JD Power list the number of surveys alongside each ranking, as this would for improve the clarity and transparency of its research.

The best cars to own
Finally, for those of you looking to replace your vehicle in future and keen to avoid the clunkers, here are the 11 highest-rated cars featured in JD Power's 2013 UK survey:

*Ranking*	*Car model*	*Percentage* *score*
1	Skoda Superb	83.0%
2	Skoda Yeti	82.8%
3	Jaguar XF	82.7%
4=	Citroën DS3	82.2%
4=	Lexus RX	82.2%
6=	Honda Jazz	82.0%
6=	Volkswagen Passat CC	82.0%
8	Volvo S60/V60	81.9%
9=	Lexus IS	81.4%
9=	Mercedes-Benz B-Class	81.4%
9=	Toyota Prius	81.4%
	Industry average	77.6%

*Thanks to three cars tied in ninth place, this table has 11 members instead of the usual 10.

Volkswagen-owned manufacturer Skoda takes the top two spots, scoring 83% and 82.8% for its Superb and Yeti models respectively. Jaguar continues its recent comeback, winning a score of 82.7% for the new XF range. The Citroën DS3 and Lexus RX round off the top five, both scoring 82.2%.

Finally, among the top-rated brands, Jaguar took top spot for the second year in a row, scoring 82.7%. Lexus scored 81.8% to take second place, with Honda (81.0%), Skoda (80.9%) and Mercedes-Benz (80.4%) completing the five top-rated manufacturers. Land Rover is also on the up, leaping six places to take sixth place and entering the top 10 for the first time.

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Repeat parking offender's car taken

Press Association — 2013-05-29T04:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Motoring

A persistent parking offender has had their car seized and impounded after racking up £18,000 in unpaid parking fines.

Portsmouth City Council took the action after the driver of the Peugeot 306 incurred 220 parking tickets and failed to pay the fines.
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Despite repeated efforts from the council and contracted bailiffs to contact the owner, the car was finally clamped and seized from Somerset Road in Portsmouth, Hampshire.

Councillor Jason Fazackarley, the local authority's cabinet member for traffic and transportation, said: "This is an extreme case which is why we have taken the necessary action to seize the vehicle after a blatant disregard by the owner.
"In addition to seizing the vehicle we will pursue legal action to recover the outstanding debt owned."

The car was impounded after the council used its parking enforcement powers, which means a car can be seized if the owner fails to pay after just three penalty notices and makes no effort to get in touch.

Vehicles removed by the council can be destroyed if the owner does not make contact and pay outstanding fines along with the removal and storage fees.

Michael Robinson, the council's parking manager said: "This is an ongoing case, so although the car has been seized we won't give up pursuing the owner until they come forward and the outstanding debt is settled.

"Motorists who ignore traffic regulations are not only a nuisance to other road users, but they can also be a danger. It is not fair for the majority of residents or visitors who park respectfully, or who those who contact us once a penalty notice has been issued.

"The amount of fines this motorist ran up shows a lack of respect for all road users, so we used our enforcement powers to take action against this persistent offender."

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Superb tops car owners' favourites

Press Association — 2013-05-24T04:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Motoring

The aptly-named Skoda Superb is the car that owners are most satisfied with, according to a survey.

And another Skoda model - the Yeti - was second in the list compiled from owners' views by What Car? and information services company JD Power and Associates.

Third in the list was the Jaguar XF, with equal fourth place being occupied by the Citroen DS3 and the Lexus RX .

The 116th and bottom-placed car was the Chevrolet Spark, with the Alfa Romeo Mito in 115th place and the Fiat Grande Punto/Evo 114th.
The top models' table was based on responses from more than 16,000 UK car-owners who were also asked to name the car company they were most satisfied with.

Topping the company list was Jaguar, followed in second place by Lexus, with Honda third, Skoda fourth and Mercedes-Benz fifth.

Bottom of the 27-company list was Chevrolet, with Alfa Romeo 26th and Mitsubishi 25th.

The Volkswagen Fox was considered the best city car, Citroen DS3 the best supermini, Toyota Prius the best small family car and the Skoda Superb the best family car/compact executive.

The Jaguar XF was the best executive car, the Mercedes-Benz B-Class the best MPV, the Skoda Yeti the best compact SUV and the Lexus RX the best large SUV.

Commenting on the company list, What Car? editor-in-chief Chas Hallett said: "This is another great achievement for everyone at Jaguar. This study shows that customers are really satisfied with their Jaguars."

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Cheapest and most expensive places to buy petrol revealed

lovemoney.com — 2013-05-23T07:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Motoring

A new survey says the average price at the pumps is falling, although there are big differences across the UK.

The price of unleaded petrol has dropped, according to new figures from Santander.
The bank's research found that the average price at the pump has decreased by 6.28p a litre since early March.

However, there are big differences between prices in different parts of the UK. Carlisle is the cheapest place to fill up with unleaded petrol, with an average price of 129.7p a litre. Taunton in Somerset is the most expensive place, with prices averaging 136.9p a litre.

Here are the top five most expensive places to fill up with unleaded petrol.

Town	Price per litre of unleaded petrol	Cost of filling up 60-litre tank (eg Ford Focus)	Cost of filling up 70-litre tank (eg Ford Galaxy)
Taunton	136.9p	£82.14	£95.83
Hereford	136.33p	£81.80	£95.43
Northampton	136.12p	£81.67	£95.28
Stevenage	135.85p	£81.51	£95.10
Milton Keynes	135.5p	£81.30	£94.85

And here are the five cheapest places.

Town	Price per litre of unleaded petrol	Cost of filling up 60-litre tank (eg Ford Focus)	Cost of filling up 70-litre tank (eg Ford Galaxy)
Carlisle	129.7p	£77.82	£90.79
Aberdeen	129.9p	£77.94	£90.93
Bradford	129.9p	£77.94	£90.93
Wigan	130.13p	£78.08	£91.09
Sunderland	130.7p	£78.42	£91.49

To find out where you can buy petrol for less in your area, go to PetrolPrices.com

Earn money on your fuel spending with a cashback credit card

Oil falls, but has it been overpriced?
The Office for National Statistics said that the price of oil fell by 6.8% between March and April, which is one of the key contributors to a fall in annual inflation during April and the price falls above.

There was also relief for motorists in this year's Budget when a planned 3p increase in fuel duty, due to come into effect in September, was scrapped.

However, BP and Shell are among companies currently being investigated over alleged fixing of oil prices.

Looking for cheaper car insurance? Try our comparison tool

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Nissan recalls another 800,000 cars

Sarah Coles — 2013-05-23T06:44:00+00:00

Filed under: Motoring

Nissan has said it will recall 841,000 cars worldwide, because a bolt in the steering wheel hasn't been screwed in properly. Among the cars are 133,869 Nissan Micras made between 2002 and 2006 in Sunderland.

So are you at risk?

The fault

Nissan said in a statement that the fault affects the Nissan Micras made between 2002 and 2006, and a model called the Cube, manufactured in Japan and never sold in the UK.

The car company said: "In some cases, the steering wheel securing nut has gradually become loose. This would soon become apparent to the driver and there is no risk of a sudden failure, but if left unchecked this could eventually lead to the steering column being damaged."

It added that there had been no reported injuries or deaths as a result of the fault.

Are you at risk?

Nissan said that it would be contacting all potentially affected owners, asking them to take their car to a Nissan dealer for a free check to ensure the steering wheel securing bolt is tightened sufficiently. If you are concerned you can contact your dealer who will check whether your car is affected or call customer services on 01923 899 334.

If your car is included in the recall you will need to make an appointment with a dealer, where the car will be fixed free of charge - either by tightening the bolt or by replacing the steering wheel. The fix should take 15 minutes.

Recalls

It's the third recall Nissan has had to implement in eight months. As we reported in April it was one of four car companies that had to issue a massive recall because of a problem with the device that inflates the passenger airbag. Back in September it recalled over 50,000 vehicles over a separate problem with a steering wheel.

And it's not the only car maker with recalls on its hands. In April Honda, Toyota and Mazda were also hit by the faulty airbag inflator and issued recalls. Honda has had to recall cars for four different faults in 2013, while Toyota recalled 2.7 million vehicles in November 2012 over a steering wheel fault and 7.43 million in October over a problem with window switches.

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The Fixer: Motorhome insurance

Jess Bown — 2013-05-22T15:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Motoring

Have you been left out of pocket due to poor service or sharp practice? Do you have a money problem that won't go away?

It can seem impossible to get a fair result when you are battling a financial issue alone. But never fear! The AOL Money Fixer is here to help.

Dear Fixer,
I recently retired, and am planning to spend some of the next few years travelling around Europe with my wife.

This weekend, I bought a secondhand motorhome to take on our travels, which we are hoping to start with a trip down to Devon and Cornwall in a couple of weeks. However, I need to insure the motorhome before taking it out on the road.

I would like to take out a policy that also covers me to drive it on the Continent, as we are planning a trip to France and Italy later in the year.

As the motorhome will have a lot of our things in it on our travels, I also want to make sure that we have sufficient contents cover to protect us if someone steals the vehicle. Clearly, standard car insurance will not suffice.

But as this is my first motorhome, I do not know what sort of policy will or whether I need a continuous policy or to take out a separate one each time we go on a trip. Can you offer any advice?

T Cooper, Watford

Dear Mr Cooper,
As you suspect, motorhomes need specialist protection. Like cars, however, they must be insured at all times - even if they are parked on your drive or in a garage for weeks or months on end - due to the Continuous Insurance Enforcement rules.

In fact, registered motorhome owners who do not insure their vehicles therefore risk a fine of at least £100 as well as court action (unless the vehicle is registered with the DVLA as off the road with a Statutory off Road Notice).

The levels of cover available are also similar to those for cars. Third party only is the minimum required by law and covers you in case you cause injury to others or damage to others' property, third party fire and theft also offers protection against fire damage and the theft of your motorhome, and comprehensive cover does all the above and pays out for damage to your own motorhome in an accident where you are at fault.

Once you have decided what level of cover you want, it is vital to check that the policy you are considering is suitable for the type of vehicle you own.

A policy that offers cover for a converted transit van, for example, may not be sufficient for a vintage camper van, while a larger vehicle may require a specialist policy.

Other features to look out for include contents cover that will replace your things in the event of a theft and a sufficiently high mileage cap for the journeys you plan to make.

As you are heading to Europe later in the year, you will also need a policy that either includes European cover, or can have it added on (a standalone policy may prove cheaper so look into both options).

Either way, you will also need to ensure that it extends to the territories you are planning both to visit and to travel through en route.

And for extra peace of mind, a European breakdown cover policy for your motorhome is also a sensible item to put on your pre-holiday checklist. Happy travelling!

The Fixer

Whatever your financial problem, write to themoneyfixer@aim.com and The AOL Money Fixer will get on the case.

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Petrol and diesel prices down: AA

Press Association — 2013-05-18T02:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Motoring

The drop in pump prices in the last few weeks follows a series of supermarket price reductions, led by competitive independents and other non-supermarket retailers, which have now reduced the cost of petrol to as low as 128p/129p on the east side of London.

The AA said: "However, wholesale price movements indicate the fragility of the price falls as petrol costs have rebounded, fallen away again and then bounced back over the past three weeks."

Averaging 132.8p a litre, Yorkshire and Humberside has resumed its position as the cheapest region in the UK for petrol. Northern Ireland is the most expensive for petrol at 135.1p and also for diesel, at 139.3p a litre. This is 2p more than the cheapest diesel area - Yorkshire and Humberside at 137.3p

AA public affairs head Paul Watters said: "Three times in the past 12 months, drivers have been hammered by £4-£5 hikes in the cost of a tank of petrol. It is clear that, if petrol and diesel wholesale price movements were transparent, families and businesses would have 10 to 14 days' notice of the next price shock - and hopefully the reason for it."

He went on: "The IEA report suggests that fuel prices will be increasingly subjected to speculation on the part of those who look for inflated short-term profit rather than those players looking to strike a balance between fair profit and supply and demand - without destroying their consumer market, refining capacity and the UK economy.

"We have seen petrol consumption in the UK fall to record lows this year. As many as 69% of AA members are cutting back on car use, other spending or both, and 86% of US drivers are using their cars less. The warning signs couldn't be any clearer."

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Bristol bus lane fine revoked

Jess Bown — 2013-05-17T06:45:00+00:00

Filed under: Motoring

A motorist has forced a Bristol City Council to apologise after he was fined for pulling into a bus lane to let two fire engines pass his car.

Ian Pemble, 67, has also been reimbursed the £30 penalty he paid after council officers sent him photos of his vehicle travelling in the bus lane.

However, he would not have got his money back had he not decided to fight the fine, which was issued despite video evidence showing that a fire engine raced past his car seconds after he moved into the outside lane.

Bristol City Council has since admitted that officers issued the penalty without fully considering the circumstances on the A4 in Bristol last month.

Council spokeswoman Kate Hartas told the Daily Mail: "The team have reviewed the footage, and it is clear that he had moved into the bus lane for a fire engine.

"Actions by motorists to allow access for emergency services occur regularly, and they are normally picked up when the footage is examined prior to a PCN being issued. However, it was missed in this instance in error. We will write to Mr Pemble to apologise."

Pemble, a music journalist from St Annes in Bristol, is just happy to find out that he was "squeaky clean" and get his money back.

"I knew I was in the area but I wasn't sure whether I had just nipped into the lane at the last moment," he said.

"I paid my fine. But I was so annoyed with them, I asked for more evidence. And it was lucky I did because when they sent through the video, it clearly shows me moving out of the way of two fire engines. I was absolutely delighted to find I was squeaky clean."

Bristol is not the only UK city where officers are busy handing out bus fines, though. According to the BBC, Reading motorists caught driving in bus lanes have paid out more than £2 million in fines in the last year.

Figures from the borough council in Reading reveal that a total of 72,178 penalty charge notices were handed out in the last financial year - that's an average of more than 197 a day.

Bogus parking fines are also a problem, with Royal Mail sealing up a post box in Plymouth recently after one of its post vans got a parking ticket while picking up the letters inside. You can read more about that story by clicking here.

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Petrol and diesel prices down: AA

Press Association — 2013-05-17T04:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Motoring

Average petrol and diesel prices have fallen but the situation remains fragile, according to the AA.

The average price of petrol on UK forecourts has fallen from 136.89p a litre in mid April to 133.35p in mid May. It had hit a year high of just over 140p on March 4, having started the year at around 132p.

Diesel, on average, now costs 138.17p a litre, down from 141.76p a month ago. It also reached a year high on March 4 of almost 146.5p a litre, having started the year at around 140p.

But the AA said that this week's International Energy Agency (IEA) warning that traders and speculators were taking control of the European fuel market meant that more and ups and downs in prices could be expected.
The drop in pump prices in the last few weeks follows a series of supermarket price reductions, led by competitive independents and other non-supermarket retailers, which have now reduced the cost of petrol to as low as 128p/129p on the east side of London.

The AA said: "However, wholesale price movements indicate the fragility of the price falls as petrol costs have rebounded, fallen away again and then bounced back over the past three weeks."

Averaging 132.8p a litre, Yorkshire and Humberside has resumed its position as the cheapest region in the UK for petrol. Northern Ireland is the most expensive for petrol at 135.1p and also for diesel, at 139.3p a litre. This is 2p more than the cheapest diesel area - Yorkshire and Humberside at 137.3p

AA public affairs head Paul Watters said: "Three times in the past 12 months, drivers have been hammered by £4-£5 hikes in the cost of a tank of petrol. It is clear that, if petrol and diesel wholesale price movements were transparent, families and businesses would have 10 to 14 days' notice of the next price shock - and hopefully the reason for it."

He went on: "The IEA report suggests that fuel prices will be increasingly subjected to speculation on the part of those who look for inflated short-term profit rather than those players looking to strike a balance between fair profit and supply and demand - without destroying their consumer market, refining capacity and the UK economy.

"We have seen petrol consumption in the UK fall to record lows this year. As many as 69% of AA members are cutting back on car use, other spending or both, and 86% of US drivers are using their cars less. The warning signs couldn't be any clearer."

More stories

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