It revealed the average...
It revealed the average cost of a family day out to the Birmingham NEC was a staggering í‚á£70. Even for a person on their own, the cost was í‚á£36.
Government fat cats...
Government fat cats spend £7.16million a year on chauffeur-driven ministerial cars. And each one costs an average £73,000 to run ð€“ thatð€™s 15 times more than the average motoristð€™s bill!
The shock figures come in the wake of MP Hilary Bennð€™s recent comments defending fuel price rises as a way to encourage drivers to curb their car use. But an Auto Express investigation has revealed that his motoring bill alone was nearly £66,000 in the last financial year!
In Issue 1,022, we reported Benn, Secretary of State at the Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs, as saying: ð€ÇThe price of fuel is acting as an incentive for everyone to try to cut their emissions.ð€Ý
But our Freedom of Information request revealed Benn was allocated £65,969.87 by the Government Car and Despatch Agency in the year to April 2008. And that doesnð€™t even include taxi journeys or out of hours trips. The average UK motorist pays £4,821 to run a car over 12 months.
Taxpayersð€™ Alliance spokesman Mark Wallace said: ð€ÇItð€™s no surprise that Hilary Benn is happy to see the cost of motoring going through the roof, as tax payers are footing the bill. Heð€™s a hypocrite.ð€Ý The AA also hit out at the costs. ð€ÇThe average motorist doesnð€™t have the luxury of being chauffeur driven,ð€Ý said a spokesman.