Angry motorists protested the sky-high prices of gasoline and diesel by getting in their cars and participating in a ‘go-slow’ demonstration.
A caravan of vehicles went to the 70mph A1(M), driving at speeds of roughly 30mph for nearly 100 miles from Newcastle to Leeds.
More than 2,000 automobiles were expected to attend the protest on Friday, according to organizers.
It comes as fuel costs in the United Kingdom continue to rise to new highs. For the first time ever, the cost of filling a standard family car tank surpassed £100 earlier this month.
And the price is continuing to rise, with some petrol stations already charging the exorbitant rate of £2 per litre.
The average price of a litre of petrol was 186.6p on Tuesday, the latest day data was provided, while the average price of diesel reached a new high of 192.5p.
Jay Garside, 45, the protest’s organizer, said he thought the demonstration would be a “peaceful” method to give motorists “a voice.”
‘The reaction I’m receiving from Facebook is that everyone wants to do something but doesn’t know what to do,’ he explained.
‘We know what to do, so we chose to lead by example and show people how to hold a legal, peaceful protest by slowing down the A1, rather than blocking roads or petrol forecourts.’
‘Fuel costs are driving businesses out of business; cab drivers can’t afford to go to work; the general population can’t afford to drive to work; they’re seeking for work from home opportunities.’
‘We made the decision to take a stand and unite as one enormous voice in the only legal and safe way we knew how.’
The convoy set out from Stannington, Northumberland, and traveled to Wetherby, near Leeds, when they were confronted by another party and forced to turn around.
According to Mr Garside, there was even a wagon with a sign that read, “Honk for lower fuel prices.”
‘The public’s support has been fantastic,’ he remarked. The car enthusiast part of this was just us, but when it comes to a topic like rising fuel prices, it impacts a large number of people, and people are banding together.’
It is estimated that up to 1,000 automobiles took part in the event. Mr Garside organized a Facebook page to promote the protests, with over 4,000 people pledging to attend.’
It comes as fuel prices in the UK soared by more than 1p per litre to new record highs on Tuesday, blaming the rise on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and supply chain concerns.
According to numbers released on Wednesday by data firm Experian, the average price of a litre of petrol at UK forecourts on Tuesday was 186.6p, while the average price of diesel hit a new high of 192.5p.
It comes as a survey indicated that the vast majority of Britons are slowing their pace in order to stretch their gasoline farther as they deal with the cost of living problem and 9% inflation rate.
One expert shared his top fuel-saving ideas, which included traveling with less weight in the car and parking in the shade to reduce the need of air conditioning.
For the first time in British history, the cost of filling up a family car surpassed £100 earlier this month, raising fears that prices will continue to grow.
Managers of a forecourt in upscale Chelsea, central London, were labelled ‘total charlatans’ this week for selling petrol at £2.50 per litre.
The fuel price difficulties come amid worries of a summer of unrest, with nationwide rail strikes scheduled for next week, bringing the country to a halt, and promises of additional industrial action down the road.
According to numbers released on Wednesday by data firm Experian, the average price of a litre of petrol at UK forecourts on Tuesday was 186.6p, while the average price of diesel hit a new high of 192.5p.
It comes as a survey indicated that the vast majority of Britons are slowing their pace in order to stretch their gasoline farther as they deal with the cost of living problem and 9% inflation rate.
One expert shared his top fuel-saving ideas, which included traveling with less weight in the car and parking in the shade to reduce the need of air conditioning.
For the first time in British history, the cost of filling up a family car surpassed £100 earlier this month, raising fears that prices will continue to grow.
Managers of a forecourt in upscale Chelsea, central London, were labelled ‘total charlatans’ this week for selling petrol at £2.50 per litre.
The fuel price difficulties come amid worries of a summer of unrest, with nationwide rail strikes scheduled for next week, bringing the country to a halt, and promises of additional industrial action down the road.
‘New records in the average price of petrol have been established every day for the last month, with a litre jumping 21p, adding more than £11 to a tank,’ said RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams today.
‘An analysis of wholesale diesel costs by the RAC indicates that it is inevitably going towards a hitherto inconceivable average of £2 per litre.
‘Drivers appear to be up against it when it comes to high fuel prices, particularly now that the pound has lost so much ground against the dollar in the last week, which is terrible news because fuel is exchanged in dollars.
‘We hope the government now recognizes that the enormous increase in wholesale prices is to blame for millions of people’s financial hardship at the forecourt, and takes steps to alleviate their suffering.’
‘We made a cut already… the biggest cut ever in gasoline duty,’ Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated last Thursday when asked about the matter.
‘What I want to see is those tax savings not merely taken up in one mouthful without reaching the gasoline firms’ gullets; I want to see those cuts have an impact on the pumps.’
‘And we’re keeping a careful eye on things to see what happens.’
It comes as OnePoll issued a survey of 2,000 motorists today, finding that £2 was the litre price at which most Brits would contemplate changing their driving habits.
Since last week, forecourts around the country have been breaking the eye-watering mark, causing outrage on social media.
According to the research, 62% of Britons have already begun lowering their pace to offset price increases, particularly on the road.
The average motorway speed of those polled was 64 miles per hour, with the majority (43%) travelling between 66 and 70 miles per hour.
And slightly under a third of respondents (32%) answered that saving gasoline was more essential than getting somewhere promptly.
In the meanwhile, 56% claimed they are just driving less to save money, while only 12% indicated they have made no changes to their driving habits.
‘With fuel approaching £2 a litre, having a car becomes a luxury,’ said Karl Dyson, editor and creator of hypermiler.co.uk, a website that provides advise on how to get the most out of your mileage.
‘When consumers are faced with increased energy and gas prices, they must reconsider how and when they use automobiles.’
‘The simplest method to conserve 100% of your fuel is to not use any fuel in the first place,’ he continued.
Nearly a quarter of respondents said they would seriously consider changing their driving habits if both unleaded and diesel hit the £2-per-litre barrier.
Four out of ten people stated they would favor lowering the speed limit from 70 to 60 mph to save gasoline.