Author: PA Media

London’s roads remain the most congested in the world as life is “returning to normal” as the impact of the coronavirus pandemic recedes, new figures show.

Drivers in the capital spent an average of 156 hours sitting in traffic in 2022, according to a report by traffic information supplier Inrix.

It is the second year in a row that London has topped the global congestion ranking, which covers more than 1,000 cities across 50 countries.

The length of time lost to jams in the city is 5% above pre-coronavirus levels.

London was ranked the world’s eighth most congested city in 2019.

Bob Pishue, transportation analyst and author of the report, said: “It is great to see civic and commercial life returning to normal, but unfortunately we’re seeing congestion inching closer to, if not exceeding, pre-pandemic levels.

“We must manage congestion while improving mobility and accessibility in cities to avoid it hurting economic recovery and impacting the quality of life of commuters and residents.”

Chicago in the US was found to be the world’s second most congested city last year, with drivers spending an average of 155 hours stuck in traffic.

That was followed by the French capital Paris (138 hours) and the US city of Boston (134 hours).

Bristol has the UK’s second worst road congestion (91 hours), followed by Manchester (84 hours), Birmingham (73 hours) and Belfast (72 hours).

The UK’s five most congested road corridors were all found in London.

The most severe was the A219 southbound from Fulham to Morden – a major route out of the capital – on which drivers lost an average of 47 hours last year.

This was partly due to delays caused by the closure of Hammersmith Bridge to motorised vehicles.

Electric vehicle drivers are being charged more to top up their batteries on long journeys than people behind the wheel of petrol cars pay for fuel, according to new analysis.

The RAC said the average price of using rapid chargers on a pay as you go basis has increased by nearly 26p per kilowatt hour (kWh) since May, reaching 70.3p per kWh this month.

This rise – caused by the soaring wholesale costs of gas and electricity – means drivers pay around 20p per mile for their electricity when using the chargers.

The per mile cost for a petrol car achieving an economy of 40 miles to the gallon is just 17p.

The equivalent cost for drivers of diesel cars is 20p per mile.

Most electric car owners predominantly use slower chargers at home, which cost less than half the price of public rapid devices.

But those taking longer trips beyond the range of their car’s battery depend on rapid and ultra rapid public chargers to complete their journeys.

RAC spokesman Simon Williams said: “For drivers to switch to electric cars en masse, it’s vital that the numbers stack up.

“In time, the list price of new electric models will come down but charging quickly has also got to be as affordable as possible.

“It continues to be the case that those who can charge at home or at work and who don’t use the public charging network very often get fantastic value – even given the relatively high domestic energy prices right now.

“Sadly, the same can’t be said for people who either can’t charge at home or at work, or who regularly make longer journeys beyond the range of their cars.

“There’s no question they have to pay far more, and in some cases more than petrol or diesel drivers do to fill up on a mile-for-mile basis.”

Figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show battery electric new cars took a market share of 16.6% in 2022, surpassing diesel for the first time to become the second most popular powertrain after petrol.

Some 22.9% of all new cars registered were plug-in vehicles, which includes pure electrics and plug-in hybrids.

Sales of new petrol and diesel cars and vans in the UK will be banned from 2030.

Mercedes is recalling nearly 324,000 vehicles in the US because the engines can stall while they are being driven.

The recall covers a range of models from 2012 to 2020, including the ML550, ML350, AMG ML63, ML250, ML400, GLE450, GLE300, GLE350, GLE550, GLE400, AMG GLE43 and AMG GLE63.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in documents on Thursday that water can accumulate in the spare tyre wheel well and damage the fuel pump control unit.

That can make the engines stall.

Dealers will check for water intrusion, install a drain plug and replace the fuel pump if needed.

Owners will be notified by letter starting from February 21.

Mercedes said in documents it is aware of 773 US warranty claims, field reports and service reports due to the problem.

The company said it is not aware of any crashes or injuries caused by the defect.

A reduction in fuel prices last month “should have been far bigger”, according to new analysis.

The RAC said the average price of petrol in the UK fell by 8.4p per litre in December to 151.1p, while the price of diesel dropped by 9.4p per litre to 174.0p.

This came after fuel prices decreased by around 6p per litre in November.

But the RAC claimed that wholesale prices mean a litre of petrol and diesel should have been around 11p and 14p cheaper at the end of 2022 respectively.

This was even allowing for a retailer profit margin of 10p per litre, which is 3p more than the long-term average.

The RAC noted that Costco’s filling stations – which can only be used by the retailer’s members – are charging an average of 137.3p per litre for petrol and 158.4p per litre for diesel.

RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: “On the face of it, December looks like it was a good month for drivers, with 9p coming off at the pumps on top of November’s 6p, but there’s no question that the drop should have been far bigger given how far wholesale prices have come down.

“For weeks we’ve been calling on the big four supermarkets to cut their prices more substantially to give drivers a fairer deal when they fill up, so even though they have reduced their prices collectively by more than 10p a litre in December, they are still nowhere near where they should be given the scale of the drop in wholesale prices.”

Business Secretary Grant Shapps wrote to fuel retailers on December 22 urging them to “ensure savings are passed on to consumers”.

This came after it emerged drivers were being hit by record Christmas getaway fuel prices.

Mr Williams added: “We hope the Business Secretary’s intervention just before Christmas puts more pressure on larger retailers to do the right thing.”

Supermarket Morrisons launched a promotion on Thursday enabling customers to save 5p per litre on fuel at its forecourts if they spend £35 in store.

Supply shortages have been blamed for new car registrations falling to the lowest level since 1992.

Around 1.61 million new cars were registered in 2022, according to preliminary data released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

That is down 2% compared with the 1.65 million registered during the previous 12 months and a quarter below pre-coronavirus levels.

The SMMT said the decline was due to manufacturers being unable to meet demand for new cars due to global supply chain issues such as semiconductor shortages, driven by coronavirus lockdowns in China.

The UK has reclaimed its position as Europe’s second largest new car market behind Germany after being overtaken by France in recent years.

Battery electric new cars took a market share of around 17% in 2022, surpassing diesel for the first time to become the second most popular powertrain after petrol.

Some 23% of all new cars registered were plug-in vehicles, which includes pure electrics and plug-in hybrids.

Although that was a record high, it represents a smaller year-on-year rise compared with the previous 12 months.

The market share for plug-in vehicles rose from 10.7% in 2020 to 18.6% in 2021.

December saw battery electrics claim their largest ever monthly market share of 33%, driven by a large number of Tesla cars being delivered.

The overall new car market recorded its fifth consecutive month of year-on-year growth in December, and the SMMT anticipates that new car registrations will increase by around 15% this year.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes described 2022 as “a very difficult year” but insisted there are signs that supply problems are “beginning to ease”.

He said: “Manufacturers have really struggled to be able to make the vehicles in sufficient quantities, primarily due to semiconductor shortages but there are other parts shortages behind that as well.

“Lockdowns in China have not helped, high logistics costs, more pressure on raw materials.

“The complexities of global manufacturing have really been brought to bear heavily on the industry this past year.”

He went on: “The automotive market remains adrift of its pre-pandemic performance but could well buck wider economic trends by delivering significant growth in 2023.

“To secure that growth – which is increasingly zero emission growth – government must help all drivers go electric and compel others to invest more rapidly in nationwide charging infrastructure.”

Mr Hawes called for a “significant ratcheting up of investment” in electric car charging.

Sales of new petrol and diesel cars and vans in the UK will be banned from 2030.

The Nissan Qashqai topped the ranking of overall new car registrations in 2022 followed by the Vauxhall Corsa, Tesla Model Y, Ford Puma and Mini.

Erin Baker, editorial director at online vehicle marketplace Auto Trader, said: “The bright spot last year was battery electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids, which accounted for almost one in four of new car sales.

“But we’re worried this is unlikely to last after signs of a fall in consumer demand on our marketplace towards the end of 2022.

“EVs need to be easier to afford, charge and buy to keep sales on track and ultimately meet the Government’s targets.”

Confirmed figures will be published by the SMMT at 9am on Thursday.

The growth in sales of new electric cars in 2023 will be suppressed by high prices and concerns over charging infrastructure, according to analysis.

Consumer website Electrifying.com estimated that around 350,000 new electric cars will be sold in the UK next year.

Latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show registrations of new electric cars are on track to reach nearly 250,000 this year.

Electrifying.com founder Ginny Buckley described the expected growth in 2023 as “impressive” but warned it will be hampered by “various headwinds in the economy and supply chain”.

She said: “We still need to see more affordable cars brought to market to encourage private motorists to make the switch.

“At the moment there are just three electric cars priced under £30,000 and the lack of choice at an affordable price point is having a detrimental effect on mainstream consumers.

“We also need a public charging network that people can rely on.

“This means increasing the numbers of chargers, improving their reliability and making sure that pricing is fair.”

Auto Trader reported that electric models accounted for fewer than a fifth (19%) of new car inquiries sent to retailers through its online marketplace in November, down from 27% in June.

Sales of new petrol and diesel cars and vans in the UK will be banned from 2030.

More than three out of five tradespeople will be caught off guard by a £100 million tax raid, a new survey suggests.

Some 62% of respondents to a survey of more than 1,000 van drivers by online vehicle marketplace Auto Trader said they were unaware of the looming rise in company van tax quietly announced in Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement.

Under the plan, basic rate taxpayers currently paying £720 as a benefit in kind to use company vans for personal journeys will pay an additional 10% or £72 a year from April 6 next year.

Higher rate taxpayers face a £144 extra annual charge.

Increasing the tax in line with the Consumer Prices Index measure of inflation – currently near 40-year highs – will raise an extra £15 million a year, according to Treasury forecasts.

That will be worth more than £100 million by the end of the decade.

April’s tax rise follows soaring fuel costs driven by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The results of Auto Trader’s survey, shared with the PA news agency, indicated that more than a quarter (27%) of van drivers have been hit by at least £500 in extra running costs this year.

Van purchase costs have also increased.

The average price of used vans on its marketplace has risen by £1,300, or 7%, to £19,429 since November 2021.

New vans have seen an even bigger rise – up £4,300, or 14%, to £33,821 amid supply problems.

An Auto Trader spokesman said: “Our findings show that the new fresh tax raid coming their way in April will be a complete shock to most van drivers, adding to the heavy burden that they’ve already faced this year.

“It might even be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for many of them.”

Mr Hunt also announced in his autumn statement that new zero-emission cars will no longer be exempt from vehicle excise duty from April 2025.

A Treasury spokesperson said: “Drivers who only use their vans for business are not subject to the Van Benefit Charge because it only applies to private use – and those who do pay it will not see a real-terms increase next year.

“In addition, this year’s £2.4 billion fuel duty cut continues to save van drivers around £200 each.”

Road traffic officers and control room staff are to launch a two-day strike in the latest outbreak of industrial action sweeping the country.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) working for National Highways in South West England and the West Midlands will walk out on Friday.

Other National Highways workers will strike on January 3 and 4.

The union said the action is likely to have an impact on signs and signals being set up to warn motorists of blockages and incidents, a reduced ability to respond and deal with collisions, and delays in reopening carriageways and motorways.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “Previous strikes elsewhere in England have caused disruption for people travelling over the Christmas period, and this strike is likely to do the same.

“While we regret people’s travel plans will be affected, we make it very clear this strike could be called off today if the Prime Minister or Chancellor put money on the table.”

Border Force workers in the PCS based at a number of airports are continuing with strike action until New Year’s Eve.

Military personnel will continue to cover for striking workers at Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow airports, as well as the Port of Newhaven.

The dispute is over pay, jobs, pensions and conditions, with more strikes set to be announced in the new year.

Duncan Smith, executive director of operations at National Highways, said: “The PCS strikes involve a small minority of frontline operational staff. We have well-rehearsed resilience plans to continue managing and operating our network safely, and we’re confident that this action will have minimal overall impact.

“Millions of people rely on our roads and there is a possibility that they may be busier than usual on strike days, particularly when they correspond with industrial action on other transport modes. We’d urge drivers to take extra care during the cold weather.”

Classic car owners are taking detours to avoid smart motorways because they are “frightened” of being hit from behind while stopped in live lanes.

Drivers of cars which are typically older than 25 years said motorways without a hard shoulder have “too many risks” because their vehicles’ age makes them particularly susceptible to breaking down.

AA president Edmund King told the PA news agency the Government and National Highways should “go back to the drawing board” and return lane one of all-lane running smart motorways to a hard shoulder.

Alan Hames, who worked as a highways engineer for more than 50 years before retiring, said he takes detours to avoid smart motorways when driving his 1972 E-Type Jaguar V12 Roadster.

He added 26 miles to a return trip from his home in Northamptonshire to a recent rare-car event in south-west London by using the M40 – which has a hard shoulder – rather than the M1, which does not.

Breaking down on a smart motorway “brings too many risks for classic car owners”, the 80-year-old said.

“I know many other classic car owners who take long detours to avoid these deadly smart motorway death traps.

“Our classics are well looked after but cars like mine built 50 years ago are not as reliable as modern motors.

“At least a hard shoulder gives drivers the option of getting to relative safety.”

Around 10% of England’s motorway network is made up of smart motorways.

They involve various methods to manage the flow of traffic, such as converting the hard shoulder into a live running lane and variable speed limits.

Gaynor Cauter, editor of Jaguar Driver magazine, said she is one of many car enthusiasts who try to steer clear of smart motorways.

“I hear regularly from drivers of Jaguars – classic and modern – who are so frightened of breaking down on smart motorways that they make every effort to avoid them, and I include myself in that number,” she said.

“However, on some journeys, they are almost impossible to avoid.”

A National Highways report into SVD (stopped vehicle detection) trials published in 2016 stated that there were difficulties detecting small cars such as the Mazda MX5 sports coupe, which has a height of only 1.2 metres.

But the company is confident the development of the radar-based technology means there is no longer a specific problem related to the size of vehicles.

Safety regulator the Office of Rail and Road said earlier this month that detection rates of stopped vehicles by SVD in National Highways’ five regions with smart motorways without a hard shoulder is between 59.6% and 79.6%, whereas the company’s target is 80%.

Classic car owner Alice Kimberley, 61, of Wiltshire, said: “I have been driving my classic MX5 fearlessly for 30 years but now am concerned about venturing out on the new M4 smart motorway with the added danger of perhaps going under the radar or having nowhere to go if I did happen to break down.

“I try to avoid smart motorways if I can.”

National Highways operational control director Andrew Page-Dove said: “Stopped vehicle detection is required to detect all types of vehicles that use our motorways.

“We have met our commitment to put it in place on existing all-lane running motorways, and work is now under way to further improve the system to make journeys on our busiest roads even safer and more reliable.”

In January, the Department for Transport halted the development of new smart motorways without a hard shoulder until five years of safety data has been collected for schemes introduced before 2020.

Multiple surveys have indicated that many drivers do not use the inside lane on smart motorways as they are worried there might be a broken-down vehicle ahead.

Mr King said: “Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described smart motorways as ‘unsafe’.

“It really is time for National Highways and transport ministers to go back to the drawing board.

“The rollout of new smart motorways has been halted but urgent action is needed on the current confusion.

“Reinstating the hard shoulder and enforcing better lane discipline might just do the trick.”

The Sun newspaper has said it regrets the publication of Jeremy Clarkson’s column about the Duchess of Sussex and is “sincerely sorry”.

The apology comes after the piece, in which Clarkson said he “hated” Meghan, became the Independent Press Standards Organisation’s (Ipso) most complained-about article.

Ipso said the piece, which was removed from The Sun’s website on Monday at Clarkson’s request, had received more than 17,500 complaints as of 9am on Tuesday – rising to 20,800 by 5pm.

The reaction surpassed the total number of complaints the media regulator received in 2021 – 14,355.

On Friday the newspaper said in a statement: “In last Saturday’s Sun, Jeremy Clarkson wrote a comment article about the Duchess of Sussex. It provoked a strong response and led to a large number of complaints to Ipso, the independent press regulator.

“In a tweet earlier this week, Jeremy said he had made a ‘clumsy reference to a scene in Game of Thrones’, which had ‘gone down badly with a great many people’ and he was ‘horrified to have caused so much hurt’. He also said he will be more careful in future.

“Columnists’ opinions are their own, but as a publisher we realise that with free expression comes responsibility. We at The Sun regret the publication of this article and we are sincerely sorry.”

The newspaper added that the article had also been removed from their archives as well as their website.

The statement continued: “The Sun has a proud history of campaigning, from Help for Heroes to Jabs Army, Who Cares Wins and over 50 years of working in partnership with charities, our campaigns have helped change Britain for the better.

“Working with our readers, The Sun has helped to bring about new legislation on domestic abuse, provided beds in refuges, closed harmful loopholes in the law and empowered survivors of abuse to come forward and seek help. We will continue to campaign for good causes on behalf of our readers in 2023.”

In the piece published on Friday, Clarkson wrote that he had dreamed of Meghan being paraded through British towns and publicly shamed, adding that “everyone who’s my age thinks the same way”.

The article attracted criticism from high-profile figures, politicians, and his own daughter, Emily Clarkson.

Writing on Twitter, Clarkson said he was “horrified to have caused so much hurt” following the backlash and that he would “be more careful in future”.

It follows the recent broadcast of Harry and Meghan’s explosive six-part Netflix documentary, in which the couple made allegations of mistreatment by the royal family.

The first three episodes saw Meghan accuse the British media of wanting to “destroy” her and claim “salacious” stories were “planted” in the press.

The duchess also took the publisher of The Mail on Sunday – Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) – to court, after it published parts of a personal letter to her father, Thomas Markle, winning the case in 2021.