MP Robert Halfon: “Parents may have to teach children at home because they can’t afford to drive them to school due to soaring fuel prices”.
Business / Wed 16th Mar 2022 at 07:46am
PARENTS may be forced to teach their children at home because soaring fuel prices mean they can’t afford to drive them to school, warns Harlow MP Robert Halfon.
Families saw the average price of petrol at forecourts hit a record 163.5p per litre this week, up from 148.0p just a month ago – while diesel was at 173.4p, up from 151.6p a month ago reports the Daily Mail.
This means the cost of filling up a family car has now surpassed £90 for the first time, according to motoring experts the RAC.
Meanwhile, pressure is growing for Chancellor Rishi Sunak to address the issue after it was calculated that the Treasury stands to receive a £2.9billion tax windfall as a result.
Prices of petrol and diesel have spiked in recent weeks but the wholesale cost has fallen this week, prompting hopes that prices at the pump could soon drop.
Experts said falling wholesale costs are failing to impact pump prices – the data for which is provided by Experian Catalist – after oil prices dropped last week following a surge due to supply fears amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Now, Conservative MP Robert Halfon, who is chair of the education select committee, has warned that parents may soon not be able to afford to drive their children to school.
According to the Sun, the Conservative MP said: ‘I have had constituents who have told me they have had to sleep in car parks overnight because they cannot afford to drive home.
‘A mother has said to me she is thinking about home educating her child because of the cost of driving to school.
‘It is the biggest cost for millions of people.’
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jarrett
2022-03-16 08:10:25
Do children not have legs now? What is wrong with walking rather than sitting in mummies people carrier then blocking the road outside schools or get a vehicle that does better mpg.
Abigail
2022-03-16 08:35:26
Not all children are in schools within walking distance and cost of public transport also prohibitive.
Mike
2022-03-16 08:58:18
Granted some kids live in rural locations but I'm on min wage and I have no problem in driving the 2 miles each way to the local school, bit of a non story
Alfie
2022-03-16 09:12:49
Schools are pretty much set up for remote/online learning because of the pandemic. Maybe this is an option that could be explored, as a temporary solution, until the prices start coming down.
Veronica
2022-03-16 09:28:00
More school buses need to be running ..cycle on pavements ..walk..I used to walk from Stackfied to St Marks ...it will certainly get the children of today fitter and maybe parents too
AB
2022-03-16 11:13:59
Walk! All those able to should walk, cutting down on obesity as well. This would create room for the less able who do need transport.
Jerry
2022-03-16 11:42:05
Ignoring the cost of fuel at the moment I think the most bizarre thing I notice at my local school is the parents turn up usually about an hour before the kids come out and sit there playing with their phones. I suppose it's a competition to see who can park their car nearest the school gates.
David
2022-03-16 12:40:12
Can’t afford the petrol, sell the car and use the money for the bus, Could always walk , what a silly claim Robert. I agree with Jarrett.
jo wills
2022-03-16 13:58:48
how about walking , people get so lazy when they have cars , thats why obesity in kids is high they dont get enough exercise ,fair enough for people out in the sticks rural but if not bloody walk, end of !!!
Callum
2022-03-16 19:56:44
Best option is a market cap on fuel. I passed my test in the summer I could fill up for £40 it now costs me £60 I’m an apprentice and drive 40 mile round trip to work and on my low wages I’m getting to the end of the month and struggling to get to work. Even the train prices have gone up so every month gets harder and harder and the last 2 weeks have been brutal.
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