European officials have dropped an investigation into oil and fuel pricing meaning British drivers are exposed to rising costs at the pumps, according to campaigners.

Petrol in Britain should currently be around 2p lower and at a six-year low based on current oil prices. Oil is around £3.33 cheaper than it was at the start of the year, yet wholesale petrol is the same price as it was in January. AA has long urged Brussels to expose why consumers don’t feel the full benefit when oil prices are low, whereas when they rise fuel quickly becomes more expensive.

Transparent pricing, a model adopted in the US, Australia and South East Asia, could help ease the problem, according to experts. It would show drivers where, how and why forecourt prices are rising and would also help drivers and businesses prepare when fuel prices are set to surge, as a result of higher oil prices.

But drivers are now left ‘defenceless’ against rip-off pricing models, thanks to the failure of the EU Competition Commissioner to probe anomalies.

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Many of us will have already broken up from work for the Christmas Holidays, or are likely to be breaking up over the next couple of days – Which means much merriment and celebration to look forward to over the Festive season.

However if you are planning to be driving this Christmas, you must remember to refrain from drink-driving – As it is all year-round, being intoxicated when behind the wheel is a crime and will likely result in prosecution – Not a great way to start or end your Christmas holidays!

Safe driving from Britannia!

Motoring campaigner, Mike Rutherford, says cyclists should be made to pay their way into Britain’s congested and disgraceful roads. His demands come as drivers face hefty queues in central London due to building works on a cycle superhighway, which runs via Hyde Park Corner, Parliament, Blackfriars and the Tower of London.

Rutherford, who founded the Motorists Association 20 years ago, says it is not fair that drivers are forced to suffer the woes of traffic as workers build a superhighway for cyclists to enjoy. He called for cyclists to pay a £50 road tax per year to gain access to the country’s roads.

He also insists that cyclists should be licenced in order to answer to the law. Boris Johnson previously argued that restrictions on cyclists are an infringement on their human rights.

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We have made it to the one week mark – Only seven days left until Christmas Day, we here at Britannia hope that you have been enjoying your festive season so far, and that you will have a great time for the rest of it too – There’s still time to get the rest of your Christmas Shopping done!

Hopefully there won’t be too much traffic to contend with on the roads this Yuletide season – Allowing you to get around without too much trouble, and for our new drivers out there this Christmas, remember to drive carefully as Christmas time can be tricky to drive at, with adverse weather conditions possibly causing disruptions.

Have a great last week before Christmas!

Safe driving from Britannia!

Ford is currently developing a new autonomous drive technology that could make driving in congestion considerably less stressful. Traffic Jam Assist is designed to help the driver by keeping the vehicle centred within the lane markings and also brakes and accelerates the car to ensure that it keeps pace with the vehicle in front.

The system is activated by pushing a button on encountering a traffic jam and can then identify the position of vehicles in front of it by using a grille-mounted radar device and the location of lane markings using a front-facing camera behind the windscreen. The driver is able to take control of the car again whenever they want by using the pedals, the steering wheel or indicators. The system will also monitor if the driver is using the steering wheel.

If the system detects that the driver isn’t using it, it will issue acoustic and visual warnings, the frequency of which will vary, depending on the car’s speed and location. The driver still needs to be alert to the traffic around them and be prepared to take control of the car.

Ford argues that for many drivers, experiencing heavy traffic on the way on the way to work can leave them stressed and angry, even before the work day begins. Traffic Jam Assist helps reduce this stress.

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A Chinese takeaway chef from Coventry, Yanseen Lin, got someone else to turn up to take his driving theory test because he couldn’t speak English. He had previously attempted the test in Chinese, but when foreign language tests were scrapped, a further test was booked in English.

He was due to attend to take the test in July last year, but instead another man turned up and produced Lin’s provisional driving licence. The document was examined, and the test centre employee immediately realised the man in front of her was not the same person whose photograph was on the licence. As a further check, that man was asked questions including when he had previously sat the test and what email address he had used to book the test. And when he could not answer the questions, he was turned away from the centre and not allowed to take the test.

Lin was traced and arrested in January this year whilst the man who turned up for the test hasn’t been traced. He said he had booked the test with the aid of a friend whose email address he used, but denied getting someone else to take it for him. Lin claimed he had lost his licence, but did not know where and had not reported it, and he could not explain how someone else had ended up with his licence and the details of when to turn up for the test.

It was pointed out to him through a Mandarin interpreter that the test had been booked in English, which would have been of no use if he had intended to sit it himself but he could not explain that either.

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With Christmas just around the corner, it’s no doubt that you will be out and about over the coming days preparing for the day, getting the last bits of Christmas shopping done, and visiting family and friends over the festive season.

However if you will be on the roads over the next few days, do remember to practise driving safely. With the combination of cold, possibly icy weather and snow, as well as a higher number of people on the roads, it can be dangerous to drive at this time of year.

Safe driving from Britannia!

The Labour peer criticised the Mayor of London as he spoke of his fury about traffic caused in central London due to the building works of a cycle superhighway. ‘Alan from the City’ called LBC’s feature ‘Ask Boris’ to challenge the Mayor of London to travel with him on his horrendous commute into the city from Essex.

In London, by far the most congested city in Europe, traffic is worse than ever with motorists wasting 13 entire days of their lives each year stuck in jams.

Delays are expected to continue until May next year as workers construct the segregated £47million Crossrails for cyclists route, which runs via Hyde Park Corner, Parliament, Blackfriars and the Tower of London.

Lord Sugar, unsatisfied by Boris Johnson’s apology, argued that cyclists should have some form of identification on them. Mr Johnson warned that clamping down on cyclists could be an infringement of human rights.

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It’s finally arrived – The day of the driving test is here, and the culmination of all your hard work as a learner driver is about to pay off!

Just make sure that you are fully prepared – Don’t just assume that you are going to pass, but instead maximise your chances of passing. This involves everything from the moment you wake up to the second your test comes to an end, and everything in between – Eat a good breakfast, get up and leave the house early enough to get to the test centre on time, think ahead and if possible, practise some manoeuvres or show-me-tell-me questions.

Good luck on the day – We’re sure you’ll do fine!

Safe driving from Britannia!

Transport has been disrupted after Storm Desmond brought winds, torrential rain and flooding to parts of the UK.

Cumbria was worst-hit by flooding with a number of roads closed. In Scotland about 28 flood warnings and alerts are in place with some main roads closed owing to landslides and flooding. There are no trains running between England and Scotland via Preston, while road restirictions are in place on the A66 and other routes.

In North Yorkshire, officers cordoned off the junction of Tadcaster Road and St Helen’s Road, in York, for two hours on Saturday after North Yorkshire Police said St Edward’s Church had become dangerous to passers-by and drivers. Motorists were told to avoid the area. In some of the worst affected areas in the Yorkshire Dales, one car became stuck in flood water on the A684 between Appersett and Hawes after water levels rose above 3ft. The road was impassable throughout the weekend.

Safe driving from Britannia Driving School!

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