Voters want Government action to cut tax on petrol
Thursday, 06 May 2010
80% of drivers want the next Government to cut tax on petrol as a priority following next week’s election, whilst 61% want greater action to tackle uninsured drivers, according to research by online insurer swiftcover.com. However, most people have little faith that any of the parties will be ‘good for motorists’ and make a difference to the plight of drivers, the survey found.
- 50% of drivers don’t know which party would be best for motorists
- 26% say none of the parties support the needs of motorists
- 11% of drivers believe a Conservative Government would be best for motorists
- 6% say a Labour Government would be best
- 3% feel the Liberal Democrats would be best for drivers
- 2% say the Green Party would be best
Cutting the financial burden of motoring is high on the list of election priorities for voters, but they also want action to tackle drivers who break the law, improve congestion and help the environment.
swiftcover.com found:
- 80% of drivers want the tax on petrol cut
- 43% want a reduction in road tax
- 61% want the government to get tougher on uninsured drivers
- 43% want greater action to punish dangerous drivers
- 33% want action to reduce road congestion
- 35% of drivers want investment in better public transport to reduce the environmental impact of motoring
- 31% of motorists say the next Government should encourage manufacturers to develop greener cars
- 20% of drivers want more freight to shift from roads to the railways
Tina Shortle, marketing director for swiftcover.com, says the political parties seem to be ignoring car insurance customers during the current election campaign. She explains: “There are 38 million motorists in the UK contributing billions to the tax coffers and the economy, yet we have seen little in the way of debate or policy promises from the political parties to address the big issues that drivers are facing.
“Our research shows that people want action to cut their motoring tax burden and crack down on uninsured drivers, both of which add to the overall cost of driving. But these issues are not being addressed. It’s no wonder that half of drivers have yet to decide which party they feel will be good for motorists.”
swiftcover.com motorist survey full results
1. Which party do you think will be good for motorists if they formed the next Government?
- 50% don’t know
- 26% none of them
- 6% Labour
- 11% Tory
- 3% Liberal Democrats
- 2% Green Party
2. Which motoring issues do you want the next Government to tackle first?
- 80% reduce tax on petrol
- 61% get tough on uninsured drivers
- 43% reduce road tax
- 33% cut road congestion
- 31% get more greener cars on the road
- 31% reduce vehicle theft
2. What should the next Government do to reduce the environmental impact of motoring?
- 35% invest in better public transport
- 18% nothing – leave motorists alone
- 16% invest in the development of zero emission cars
- 13% bring back scrappage allowance
- 13% bring in laws to make cars greener
4. Which car crime issues should be a priority for the next Government?
- 47% crack down on uninsured drivers
- 26% harsher penalties for speeders and dangerous drivers
5. What safety issues should be a priority for the next Government?
- 43% stricter punishment for dangerous drivers
- 16% better training for younger drivers
- 12% regular re-tests for older drivers
- 10% offer more re-education classes for minor motoring offences
6. What should the next Government do to make roads less congested?
- 32% improve public transport
- 20% shift freight from roads to railways
- 15% fine utilities who dig up roads and cause delays
- 13% better road management i.e. car pools
ENDS
Notes to Editors
For press enquiries please contact:
Paul Beadle or Joshua Van Raalte
Brazil (PR agency for swiftcover.com)
01865 556 000
swiftcover@agencybrazil.com
About swiftcover:
Based in Cobham, Surrey and employing over 800 people, www.swiftcover.com started trading in June 2005 and was born out of a desire to revolutionise the general insurance market.
swiftcover.com offers car, travel and pet insurance online, and is Britain's only insurance company without call centres, which means that the cost savings can be passed directly onto the customer and premiums are kept low. In 2008 swiftcover.com featured as the cheapest insurance quote on the comparison website moneysupermarket.com more often than any other insurer.
This powerful operating model combined with successful marketing and competitive pricing has proven to be a tremendous success. In 2008 swiftcover.com achieved over half a million live policies and in May 2009 sold their one millionth policy. They are considered to be the fastest-growing insurer in the UK.
In 2007, AXA UK acquired swiftcover.com. It is now a wholly owned subsidiary of AXA Insurance UK PLC which forms part of AXA Group.
About AXA:
AXA UK is a part of the AXA Group. AXA is a world leader in financial protection. AXA’s operations are diverse with major operations in Western Europe, North America and the Asia/Pacific area. AXA employs 120,000 staff and tied agents and, as of June 30 2006, had €1,091 billion in assets under management. AXA reported total IFRS revenues of €72 billion and IFRS underlying earnings of €3,258 million for the full year 2005. Our previous company performance is not a guide to how we may perform in the future.
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