PSA: M62 avoid this Saturday

Planned go slow fuel protests along the M62 towards Manchester.

lol, M62 near manchester? Daily go-slow isn't it?

I thought you were going to say you were picking up a new car…. 😉

To be fair, I'd be tempted to join the protest.

What a load of bollocks, its cheaper to own and run a vehicle than any time ever. My dad's in the haulage industry so he's feeling it more than most but you just get a more efficient vehicle and bam.

To be fair, I'd be tempted to join the protest.

Same here as its chucking it down anyway Sat.

its cheaper to own and run a vehicle than any time ever

Except it isn't

He's a student – he knows what he's talking about! 😀

Clearly not that's how his Dad feeling it more than most.

There's a certain irony in using up the costly resource you're protesting about, non? If they can afford to do that, it's still too cheap 😈

Drive less, ride more. Problem solved.

Why is it not cheaper in real terms? even in the past few years leading up to the recession fuel prices didn't increase too much above inflation whilst cars got much more economical, that's further compounded by more efficent (in terms of emissions) cars having very low tax. Any new family car will do 55-65mpg if driven sensibly and many will do more, that's double what you would expect 10 years ago and fuel prices haven't doubled in real terms.

As for Haulage, the newer engines (primarily Volvo and Renualt) are so much more effiecient you save thousands in a week.

Any new family car will do 55-65mpg if driven sensibly

Hahahahaha!

that's double what you would expect 10 years ago and fuel prices haven't doubled in real terms.

Keep the coming please these are great.

hehe I have a more efficient car than ever in my life, I've more income than ever in my life and I certainly notice it more these days.

woody – an interesting point, but few other ways people could protest meaningfully.

I genuinely think we should all drive less and use less of the resources. But I genuinely think that public transport isn't an option a lot of the time, cycling isnt an option in lots of situations (and I'm a champion of long commutes by bike) and people are really struggling. I'm fortunate in that I can afford to drive, even if it eats up a lot of my income.

Any new family car will do 55-65mpg if driven sensibly and many will do more, that's double what you would expect 10 years ago

Were you about 10 years ago? 12 years ago I had a petrol car that could do 44 pottering about, and that was 10 years old when I bought it.

Any new family car will do 55-65mpg

**** me I've just seen a flying pig!! They could be the transport of the future!

I'd like to protest too – fuel is way too cheap 🙁

Granted that it's cheaper to fuel up a modern car per given mile of travel nowadays, it's just that to tap into this wonderful economy you have to splurge a large chunk of money on a new car.

Therefore, for most of us with older cars that work perfectly well, its not cheaper to run a car than it was a few years ago.

BoardinBob – Member

its cheaper to own and run a vehicle than any time ever

Except it isn't

powerful use of statistics there bob very convincing thanks

Any new family car will do 55-65mpg if driven sensibly

I get 54mpg out of a 2.0lt Mondeo Estate TDi on a decent run (Shrewsbury to Newcastle), drops to about 49mpg normally.

The Aygo we have as a second car will happily take the four of us, plus walking kit for a day out at 60mpg.

Is there really a protest or is the OP trying to ensure a clear run to Manchester on a Bank Holiday weekend?

Stop using your car and buying fuel.

You'll bring the oil companies to thier knees and we all get less pollution.

Double win!

my 1993 Rover 214 (petrol) did 45mpg.

Doesn't quite work like that Dave.

**** me I've just seen a flying pig!! They could be the transport of the future!

My 1990 1.1 Pug 205 did 44 happily.
My 1996 1.6 Megane does 44 happily.
My 2001 306 Estate (HDi) does 49 over winter, 55+ over summer.

does your van not use fuel then Dave?

Well that was 17 years ago though, you see 7 years after that cars only did 27.5 MPG.

does your van not use fuel then Dave?

He uses chip fat.

nd that was 10 years old when I bought it.

I stand corrected, I'm basing that on old figures but as we're all well aware it's how you drive it. Mine's supposedly 36mpg but I can get 58 if I drive like a knob.

**** me I've just seen a flying pig!! They could be the transport of the future!

Check out new fiestas/ibizas 45-75mpg/ focus and similar. Even some volvos will do 70+

we're all well aware it's how you drive it. Mine's supposedly 36mpg but I can get 58 if I drive like a knob.

No, I think you're looking at it the wrong way round! Its usually when you drive like a knob that you get the lower figure! My (1991) fun car gets 17 when I drive it like a knob, and 30 when I don't 🙂

fuel prices haven't doubled in real terms.

Not far off though….

Jan '89 £0.40p ish
Jan '99 £0.65p ish
Jan '09 £1.15p ish
Last night £1.18

Sources:
1. http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/briefings/snsg-04712.pdf
2. the shell garage down the road.

No I mean as in driving like an old person not like I'm in a go kart.

My 1990 1.1 Pug 205 did 44 happily.
My 1996 1.6 Megane does 44 happily.
My 2001 306 Estate

A 306 estate is hardly comparable to a 1.1 205 though is it? If you compare the 205's modern equivilent then if driven for economy you could get uop to 70mpg easily.

90 quid fills the van with full fat (not bio) diesel.

On that I can get to the Alps, seems a fair cost no?

There's plenty to protest about but I don't think the price of fuel is top of the list.

A 306 estate is hardly comparable to a 1.1 205 though is it? If you compare the 205's modern equivilent then if driven for economy you could get uop to 70mpg easily.

I'm comparing cars that are reasonably practical and similar sizes. Point being that although you read figures of 70mpg on the micro-cars you see these days, you wont get that without trying, yet I have a reasonably large 2001 estate car that gets 55 average without even thinking about it. When I've TRIED to get higher I got over 60. My figures are "just use it" figures, not "best possible".

Any new family car will do 55-65mpg if driven sensibly

yeah, maybe if you live in a flat area and drive on faster roads and motorways all the time.

I have a brand new Astra Ecoflex (one of the fancy new Eco cars) and I get 47mpg from a mixture of one third each of motorway, a roads and town driving. In west Yorkshire. My Corolla did 39 average with the same driving.

Yeah that does make a massive difference, I can get maybe 44 back in Calderdale but can get closer to 60 up here in Fife.

Petrol needs to about double in price. That'll get folk off their fat arses. Whiney b*****ds.

I speak as someone with a thirsty Volvo. My attitude is base on the big picture, not selfish self interest.

Petrol needs to about double in price. That'll get folk off their fat arses. Whiney b*****ds.

It'd also severely restrict the life of a LOT of the population, most older people (over 55) would struggle to walk the 10 miles to the nearest town for a weeks shopping and then carry it back on the bus… Remember that if you double the cost of fuel, the buses and trains suffer too.

Petrol needs to about double in price. That'll get folk off their fat arses

😆

Last night £1.18

Blimey that's cheap.

gotta say i agree. people managed in the old days. EVEN OLD PEOPLE!!!

imagine! maybe if there was less fuel, then shops would need to be more local… less people would drive a couple of miles to tesco, and small local busniesses would strive again…

bring on the fuel costs!!!

Good point, don't tax fuel for trains or buses, triple tax on private vehicle fuel to cover that. Increase state pension and (genuine) disability benefits with the extra revenue generated, then old biddies can afford the public transport.

The exercise will also do them good. Noticed how every generation of our population is now exercise averse?

People who live in the countryside can go to the shops in their tractors running on red diesel. No tractor? You're obviously an incomer, get back to the city where the shops are local. Then the real country folk can have affordable property again.

Problem(s) solved.

Oil prices are going to keep going up regardless unless we find a huge new reserve but as it stands demand is increasing and supply isn't really. So obviously the argument then changes to tax it less, and fair enough most of the price is tax but where eould the tax come from then? Would you rather take the money off the NHS, schools etc just to subsidise the luxury of personal transport for you? If you want a car accept how much it costs and live with it, it's a privilege.