Ok, nothing we didn't already know, but it's nice to see a journalist in the mainstream media using words like "carbon obsessed"..the news wrote:Motoring predictions: 5 things we don't want to happen in 2010
For drivers, some depressingly predictable things happened in 2009, most of them involving shelling out even more money on running a car. And already, 2010 looks like it will follow suit. The scrap scheme will end early in the year, VAT will return to 17.5%, VED tax will increase for some (though reduce for others) and 'showroom tax' will see some buyers face a massive first-year penalty for buying cars with high CO2 tailpipe emissions.
If that's all there is we can just about take it, but the chances are there's more to come. Here are the things we really don't want to happen:
Petrol price rises:
There's something inevitable about this one, but you never know your luck - or your oil prices - and there might well be an overall drop next year. Unfortunately, recent history has shown that rises at the pumps are quick and sharp when the price of a barrel goes up, but much slower to go back down when it reduces. We're in the middle of a petrol price high at present, with an average of around £1.10, and while it's likely to drop a little at the turn of the year, we're probably past the days of sub-£1 per litre. Remember, though, that over two thirds of the price of petrol is tax - could a new Government chop fuel duty next year?
New 'green' legislation:
Between car tax (VED), fuel tax, showroom tax, congestion charging and VAT, car owners are already taxed at every turn of the wheel. However, the Government has carte blanche to introduce yet more taxes in the name of being 'green' in our carbon obsessed age. Fortunately, with first year tax and VAT returning to 17.5% it's unlikely the Government will introduce any more taxes for 2010, though it's a possibility: 'pay as you drive' schemes are always on the cards, supposedly to encourage more car sharing and lower CO2 emissions. And there's every chance more major cities could join a congestion charging scheme like London's, for which green issues are always used as a justification alongside improving traffic flow.
More speed cameras:
2009 has been the year of the motorway 'average speed camera', with miles and miles of them placed on motorways across the UK. The cameras work by using automatic number plate recognition technology to track cars across a set distance, registering how long it takes and working out the speed. They do not record or take photographs of plates. For 2010 they're set to be introduced in urban areas to enforce 20mph speed limits, with a number of councils already signing up to use them. They'll be linked wirelessly, so that potentially a car can be tracked for miles and miles with its average speed monitored. It looks like we've already lost out on wanting no more speed cameras for 2010, then.
Car price rises:
Car prices will rise as a matter of course from their current level as a result of the VAT increase, although we wouldn't be surprised if makers introduce their own as the year progresses. Ford upped its prices four times across 2009, meaning that, for example, a base model Fiesta costing £8,695 at the end of 2008 costs £11,295 now. It blamed the weak pound against the euro, although no other maker has raised prices so dramatically over the year.
It will be interesting to see what happens if and when the predicted new car sales slump occurs when VAT is increased and the scrap scheme ends. Will the makers respond by trying to eke more money from each buyer by raising prices, or will there be a 'forecourt war' to try and entice more buyers with reduced prices? Obviously we hope for the latter.
More bust carmakers:
While we all want to see cheaper cars, none of us want to see any more makers go down the pan (not good ones, anyway). 2009 has been a year of turmoil for makers - you don't need us to tell you that - but it's been brought close to home by the goings on at Vauxhall's two UK plants, Honda in Swindon and Nissan in Sunderland. The last thing we want is more auto industry woe and job losses - yet there's a sense of inevitability about it, particularly at Luton and Ellesmere Port as GM tries to get its house in order by re-organising Vauxhall. Fingers crossed.
Mark Nichol
I wonder how long it will take before the world finally realises man made carbon emissions really have an inconsequential effect on the planet..
