Budget 2014: Fuel Duty freeze, Classic Car VED & £200 million for potholes

No fuel tax increase, and 40 year rolling road tax exemption for cars.

Most of the 2014 Budget headlines are about cuts in cost for beer and bingo and help for pension prisoners held to ransom by annuity regulations. But in amongst there’s some good news for motorists; nothing that will change your world, but welcome nonetheless.

As expected, George Osborne has cancelled the fuel duty increase due in September which should help cash-strapped motorists from suffering more pain, and the plan to offer a 5p reduction per litre in 17 rural areas comes a step closer with an application to Brussels to implement the subsidy now in place.

There’s good news too for drivers of older cars with a new rolling 40 year exemption coming in for road tax (VED) on classic cars from April 1st, and for those who do have to pay VED you’ll now be able to do so monthly, biannually or annually by direct debit (with a 5% surcharge unless it’s an annual renewal). And, as we reported last year, the paper tax disc will die a death this year.

Finally, there’s an extra £200 million to help repair potholes which, although a fraction of what is probably needed, is better than nothing.

Some bits of good news and nothing particularly bad from motorists in the 2014 Budget. Thankfully.

By Cars UK