3p fuel duty scrapped – will help van fleet operators control costs
THE increasing cost pressure of running a van, whether you are running one van as a trade or a van fleet, has been given some relief.
The Chancellor in his Budget has the 3p fuel duty rise due in September has been scrapped.
“The news that the fuel duty rise has been cancelled will be welcomed by commercial drivers. But prices remain high, and we expect fuel efficiency to remain at the top of van managers’ shopping lists,” said Stuart Kerr, chief executive of Ford Retail, the world’s largest, dedicated Ford dealer group.
Lex Autolease said that small businesses running a fleet of 20 Ford Transit vans would have faced a rise of up to £4,000 in their annual fuel bills if the 3p rise had gone ahead.
The AA added that despite the scrapping of fuel duty, prices were almost 5p a litre higher than when the Chancellor froze fuel duty in March 2011.
A recent survey of van drivers of van operators by Nissan found that, despite the cost of fuel, 25% of van operators were taking no efforts to control those costs.
“Van operators must take proactive steps to ensure that drivers are given fuel efficient vehicles, are taught how to drive them efficiently, and plan their routes effectively,” commented Chris Chandler, Principal Consultant at Lex Autolease, about effective business van management.
“Fuel efficient driving techniques will not only reduce fuel costs but will also increase safety and lower maintenance and repair costs.”
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