Drinking tea with the camp van as she plans her journey north, Halliwell shares stories about her travels in the UK, but explains that it will not be long before the price of petrol becomes prohibitively high and she has to sell the van. On Thursday, data released by data company Experian showed that the average cost of filling a typical family car with gasoline had exceeded λί 100 for the first time. Burton-in-Kendal, on the M6 where Lancashire meets Cumbria, are the last gas station drivers to pass before reaching the Lake District and is one of many across the country now charging more than λί 2 a liter for unleaded fuel. . Carol Halliwall from Darwen says that if prices go up much more, she will have to sell her truck. Photo: Joel Goodman / The Guardian Paul Friday, from Liverpool, stopped with his family on a road trip to Scotland over the weekend. “Fortunately, I filled the tank before we left and I’m very happy I did. “The cost has become unreasonable,” he said. As on Friday, Jim Wight was “shocked” when he saw the prices when he left. “I drive from Torquay to Dunoon in Scotland to see my dad,” he says. “I just need enough fuel to cross the border. Fortunately, I can afford to absorb the price increase, but there will be many who can not. “ Mark Time, a cyclist from Blackpool, says he never had to worry about the cost of filling his tank. Photo: Joel Goodman / The Guardian It is not just car drivers who feel the sting. Mark Tyme, a cyclist from Blackpool, explains that in 40 years of motorcycle ownership, this is the first time he has had to worry about filling his tank. “I watch rallies all year round,” he says. “It’s what I love. But since retiring, I have had to stick to what is happening within a 50 mile radius of where I live – a year ago it was £ 18’s to fill the tank. It’s 30’s now. “ Opposite the courtyard, Steven McGregor is about to return to Scotland on a northwest coaching tour. “Coach tours have resumed after the pandemic, but recently many have been canceled due to the fuel crisis and for those still ongoing, the cost is passed on to passengers.” A few meters away, HGV driver James Cunningham is on a break from work, delivering products to supermarkets across the country. “The only thing we do not deliver is the children,” he says, smiling for a moment before straightening up and bending down to share that it now costs £ 1,000 to fill his truck – almost twice as much as in 2020. “We are called to do many more miscarriages per route and many drivers are calling for strikes. “Such a thing would bring the country to a dead end.” James Cunningham, from Glasgow, says it now costs £ 1,000 to fill his truck. Photo: Joel Goodman / The Guardian Despite the double pressures of rising fuel and energy costs and the worsening cost-of-living crisis, the mood at the start of a sunny weekend in Cumbria is generally optimistic. By far the biggest smiles, however, are on the faces of hybrid and electric vehicle owners, such as Denise Walsh, who travels from Sheffield to the Lake District with her husband Steve and Lottie the dog. “The initial cost of our car was high, but it was worth it for us. We will get from Sheffield to the Lakes and come back without filling in even once. ” Denise and Steve Walsh are happy to have their Toyota hybrid car, despite the high initial cost. Photo: Joel Goodman / The Guardian For those who can not afford the high cost of an electric car – an average of 25 25,800 for a used vehicle – AA advises motorists to “walk or ride a bike to save money” and “cut shorter distances”. Meanwhile, RAC spokesman for fuel Simon Williams said: “It is becoming clearer day by day that the government needs to take further steps to reduce the huge financial burden on drivers. Subscribe to the First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7 p.m. BST “A temporary reduction in VAT on fuel or a deeper reduction in tariffs is definitely what is needed now.” Asked about the issue on Thursday, Boris Johnson said: “We have already made a cut – the biggest cut ever made at fuel charges. “What I want to see is that these cuts have an impact on the pumps.” Leaving the courtyard, two NHS nurses are parked. “It’s not going to fill up here. It already costs us £ 50 more than in the past, and the taxpayer will be the one to collect the bill “.
