Petrol sales on the wane: Study

03/01/12

By Shane Gladstone

Figures have shown that people bought less petrol in the first nine months of last year.

The AA said sales of petrol fell from 14.9 billion litres between January and September 2010 to 13.9 billion litres during the same period last year.

The research of 20,000 AA members suggested that people earning lower wages were among those trying to cut back the amount they spent at the pumps.

Overall nearly two fifths of those polled said they plan to drive in a way that conserves fuel this year, alongside additional plans to use their cars less.

People living in Northern Ireland and the South West plan to reduce their car journeys the most, according to the AA/Populus poll.

AA public affairs head Paul Watters said: "Drivers are clearly being forced into cutting their motoring by the high price of fuel and, for many, this will impose difficult constraints on their lives.

"We have reached the stage where motoring is once again only easily affordable for the better off and, with the car still the mainstay means of travel for the majority, that is depressing news at the start of 2012."