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MOTORHOMENEWS

~ A personal take by Christopher Macgowan on tourism, travel and motorhomes.

MOTORHOMENEWS

Tag Archives: AA

6584 miles travelled per person last year

11 Thursday Dec 2014

Posted by chrismacgowan in Travel

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AA, Glaister, King, macgowan, motorhomenews, RAC Foundation

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Press Association.

The distance people travel, including on foot, has still not reached pre-recession levels, Government figures have shown. On average each person in England travelled 6,584 miles in 2013 – slightly down on the 6,599 figure for 2012 and well short of the pre-recession total of 7,124 in 2007.

The bulk of the 2013 total figure comprised travel in cars or vans, either as a driver or as a passenger.

Average distances travelled by car or van as a driver last year totalled 3,235 miles, slightly down on the 3,305-mile figure for 2012.

The distance travelled as a passenger in a car or van rose from 1,833 miles in 2012 to 1,865 miles in 2013, while the number of miles walked rose from 182 in 2012 to 187 in 2013.

The average number of miles completed by pedal cycle fell from 55 in 2012 to 49 in 2013, but was still above the pre-recession figure of 43 miles achieved in 2007.

The distance travelled on London Underground (83 miles) and on the railways (567 miles) last year were both almost identical to those for 2012.

The figures came from the Department for Transport. They also showed:

:: In the period October-December 2013, a total of 68% of people travelled to work in Britain by car;

:: There were 228 million arrivals and departures at UK airports in 2013 – a 3.5% increase on the figure for 2012 but still 5% below the 2007 peak;

:: At 1.90 million, the number of passengers starting or ending cruises at UK ports was 15 times higher in 2013 than in 1983;

:: At the end of 2013 there were 35.2 million licensed vehicles in Britain – a 1.6% rise on 2012 and the largest annual increase since 2007.

RAC Foundation director Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “The total mileage we travel by train, plane, automobile or otherwise, has shown a slow but steady decline pretty much over the whole of the past decade.

“The question is why? Does the telecoms revolution mean we are doing more without leaving the house or is it a matter of changing patterns of life and levels of income? These are fundamental questions that need addressing as we plan for a population growth of 10 million over the next 20 years or so.”

AA president Edmund King said: “We know from our research that 79% of AA members enjoy driving, and the car is a much needed item for people, with 76% saying it is essential to their daily lives.

“Today’s statistics show that as the economy picks up people strive to lead mobile lives and that the popularity of personal transport is not as some would suggest on the wane. In essence ‘the car is still king’ and we are beginning to see an increase in younger people and women taking to the roads.”

Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews

AA Caravan and Camping Awards 2015

15 Saturday Nov 2014

Posted by chrismacgowan in Sites

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AA, Christopher Macgowan, motorhomenews

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The AA has revealed the winners of the coveted AA Caravan and Camping Awards for 2015. The award winners all feature in the new edition of the best selling AA Caravan and Camping Guide. With details of 900 fully inspected and rated caravan and campsites throughout the United Kingdom, this updated guide is a must have for anyone planning a trip away in a caravan, motorhome or tent.

AA CAMPSITE OF THE YEAR 2015
England and Overall winner – Oakdown Country Holiday Park, Sidmouth, Devon
Scotland – Witches Craig Caravan and Camping Park, Blairlogie, Stirling
Wales – Bron Derw Touring Caravan Park, Llanrwst, Conwy

AA REGIONAL CAMPSITE OF THE YEAR 2015
South West – Fauxquets Valley Campsite Castel, Guernsey
South East – The Orchards Holiday Caravan Park, Newbridge, Isle of Wight
Heart of England – Longnor Wood Holiday Park, Longnor, Staffordshire
North West – Manor Wood Country Caravan Park, Coddington, Cheshire
North East – Golden Square Caravan and Camping Park, Helmsley, North Yorkshire

HOLIDAY CENTRE OF THE YEAR
Park Foot Caravan and Camping Park, Pooley Bridge, Cumbria

MOST IMPROVED CAMPSITE OF THE YEAR (ROGER ALMOND AWARD)
Wells Holiday Park, Wells, Somerset.

SMALL CAMPSITE OF THE YEAR
Churchill Farm Campsite, Buckfastleigh, Devon

The sites in the AA Caravan and Camping Guide 2015 have all been visited by one of the AA’s qualified Campsite Inspectors to look at touring pitches, facilities and hospitality before grading the site from one to five Pennants, including the Gold Pennants awarded to the best parks. Each entry within the guide includes location, ratings, contact details, directions, prices, opening times, facilities and a description to help select the right site for your needs.

The AA Caravan and Camping Guide is available from The AA Shop for £12.99 and as a free app.

Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews

Pay Up Diesel Weasels

07 Thursday Aug 2014

Posted by chrismacgowan in Politics

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AA, Christopher Macgowan, motorhomenews, RAC, The Sun

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The ‘Pay Up Diesel Weasels’ campaign calls on the Government to introduce a new scrappage scheme and is backed by the RAC, the AA and the Road Haulage Association

Drivers can back the campaign by signing the petition at:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/5809435/Sun-campaign-to-help-diesel-drivers-hit-by-Government-u-turn.html

The Sun – Britain’s biggest national newspaper, reaching over 6 million readers each day – has today launched a campaign for compensation for the millions of drivers seduced into buying diesel cars – and who now face large fines as a result.

Almost 11 million people have been persuaded by successive governments to snap up the “greener” vehicles since 2001, when then-Chancellor Gordon Brown increased excise duty for petrol cars with higher carbon dioxide emissions — making diesels a comparative bargain. The number of diesel car owners in the UK has rocketed from 1.6 million to 11 million in the space of a decade.

But major cities are now planning to punish diesel drivers with a £10-a-day tax because of other killer fumes which are linked to the fuel. A move to add a diesel-levy on the congestion charge was unveiled by London Mayor Boris Johnson last month following Britain’s failure to meet air quality targets set by the European Union.

Almost 460,000 lorries, 3.3 million vans and ten million cars could expect road charge hikes unless they upgrade to newer “Euro Six” diesel vehicles. Drivers whose motors fail to comply could also face lower resale values.

Today The Sun is calling on the Government to compensate motorists seduced into buying diesel vehicles, by opening a scrappage-style scheme aimed specifically at such cars. The Sun proposes that drivers should be given £2,000 towards the cost of a new motor that meets environmental standards — and will not face fines in the future.

Motoring groups yesterday backed the scheme, which would be similar to the scrappage initiative launched in 2009 to boost the car industry.

RAC technical director David Bizley said:

“There’s a lot of merit in a scrappage scheme for older diesel vehicles. It could follow the previous one that offered £2,000 off the price of a new vehicle to drivers of diesel cars more than ten years old. But the Government also need to be able to say how they can help drivers who have recently bought diesel.”

AA president Edmund King said:

“Scrappage was incredibly successful for cars and quite revenue-neutral due to its effect on the new car industry. A scrappage scheme could also target the gross polluters.” Road Haulage policy director Jack Semple said: “If the emission standards are not delivering, that’s not the fault of the Mayor of London.

“It’s Brussels that set the route map so, if that’s taking us to the wrong place, it’s not the right approach to fine people. There’s a lot of merit in a scrappage scheme, certainly for more heavily-polluting HGVs.”

The Car Scrappage Scheme was introduced in the 2009 budget to aid the economy and environment. The Government agreed to provide £1,000 towards the purchase of a new car from participating dealers. Manufacturers also knocked £1,000 off the list price. Almost 400,000 cars were bought under the scheme.

Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews

Petrol and diesel sales on the slide.

03 Wednesday Oct 2012

Posted by chrismacgowan in General

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AA, chrismacgowan, Christopher Macgowan, DECC, motorhomenews

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Nearly half a billion fewer litres of petrol and diesel were sold between April and June than during the same period last year, says the Department of Energy and Climate Change. The reduction came despite a fall in fuel prices during the period.

It came after sales rose at the start of the year when the threat of a tanker drivers’ strike saw panic buying. Motoring organisation The AA said price rises since 2008 have contributed to a “steady decline” in the overall market.

The government figures show that more than 2 billion fewer litres of petrol and diesel were sold compared with the same period in 2008, before the recession. In the first half of this year, a total of 16.7 billion litres of fuel was sold on forecourts in the UK. This compares with total sales of nearly 19 billion litres between January and June 2008.

News Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk

Christopher Macgowan
twitter: motorhomenews

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