Rocketing cost of commuting by car for Welwyn Hatfield residents

NEW figures have revealed the rising cost of commuting by car in Welwyn Hatfield.

The statistics, produced by the Countryside Alliance, place the figure for monthly fuel costs at �55.53 for this month.

That compares to �51.58 in January this year – a 7.7 per cent hike.

As well as the inflation-busting rises, they also show commuters travel an average distance of just under 330 miles a month, going to and from work.

The figures were calculated based on the fuel consumption of a Ford 1.8 Mondeo Mistral, which does 36.2 miles-per-gallon.

The cost was gleaned from official petrol pump prices released by the Department for Energy and Climate Change.

And census records were used to calculate the average distance to work for each local authority.

Welwyn Hatfield was categories as an ‘urban’ local authority under the definition of English Local Authorities by the Office for National Statistics.

Jenny Dunn, policy researcher for the Countryside Alliance, said: “The unprecedented rise in fuel costs since the beginning of the year has placed a heavy burden on people who need their car to get to work.

“This burden weighs far heavier on rural people, for whom cars are a necessity due to the long commutes and lack of public transport options.

“The Countryside Alliance is urging the Chancellor to take action on the cost of fuel as a matter of urgency by cutting fuel duty. The future viability of rural businesses and communities are under severe threat from the spiralling costs of driving.”

The research showed the highest monthly commuting bill was �108, in Eilean Siar, in the Outer Hebrides, and the lowest in the City of London, which stood at just under �27.