MOTORISTS are facing the most expensive Bank Holiday getaway ever as petrol prices reach é1 a litre.
Garages across Greater Manchester were last night preparing to put up fuel prices to record levels.
Some petrol stations in Bolton were selling a litre of ordinary unleaded fuel for 99.9p and smaller filling stations were expected to break through the é1 barrier this weekend.
For drivers who fill their cars with higher grade petrol and diesel, the milestone has already been reached.
Analysts at Catalist, which monitors forecourt prices through credit card receipts, said the highest price of super unleaded was 105.9p a litre at a garage in Gorton and also at a filling station near the M61. Across Britain , the average cost of standard unleaded fuel rose to a new high of 96.26p yesterday, according to the AA Motoring Trust.
With crude oil prices remaining high, motorists face a depressing summer ahead at the fuel pumps.
The AA's Luke Bosdet said: "Overall the average price of a gallon is rising by a fifth of penny a day."
Upward pressure on oil prices began with last August's Hurricane Katrina, which ravaged US oil production.
Ambitions
But the latest round of price hikes has come as a result of growing demand in China and India plus heightened fears over Iran's nuclear ambitions.
Retailers are hoping that prices will settle in the autumn, when demand tends to drop.
As for the Bank Holiday weather it is expected to be cool and showery.
The best of the weather is expected today , with rain likely tomorrow and Bank Holiday Monday.
Even with the sun out there will be a northerly breeze, say the forecasters.
With May Day coming just two weeks after a late Easter and with children back at school, there is no mass exodus abroad this weekend.Those taking trips within the UK are most favouring the Heart of England area which includes Stratford-upon-Avon, according to hotel company Travelodge.
The next most popular spots for a long-weekend break are south east and south west England,
A survey from car insurance company Churchill indicated that some people setting off in the car this weekend might have trouble reaching their destination.
It showed that two-thirds of drivers reckoned getting lost was the most common cause of stress in the car.
Nearly half of drivers blamed poor road signs, while almost a quarter blamed poor map reading.
What do you think of the price of petrol? Have your say.
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Petrol at ??1 a litre! Enough to drive you to drink, at ??2 a pint!!!
How much money are the oil
companies making?
Is that why we are paying
that much. . .
Thank you
I can fully understand petrol going up as there are far too many cars on the road and far too many unnecessary journeys made, but what I cannot understand is that when petrol does go up, we get the bus companies putting up fares to cover the increased costs. If the Government want to get us to use public transport, just putting up petrol prices alone wont work. They need to also address the failing public transport system and the rising cost of using it.
Are all you labour voters happy now?? Thanks Gordon
I'm delighted at the price of petrol, and I hope it keeps going up so that there aren't so many cars on the road and children can play out in the street like I could.
What a stupid country we are? If the government wanted gass guzzlers off the road they would have put the roadtax up to ??1000 a year .can you not work out yet what the hell this government is doing "again" They slowly put the tax on cars up.They dont want gas guzzlers off the road that would mean they loose tax revenues. Its like them stopping smoking they put the price of cigs up year on year so that its a slow boil "Its so that it dosnt hurt all at once" Because they know if they put it up in one go people would revolt "The powers that be know how to brainwash us " the british? and we stand for it that is what makes me laugh?????