Oxford drivers speak out over petrol crisis and fuel costs

The cost of a litre of petrol in Oxfordshire stands at £1.85, according to figures from petrolprices.com – up 35 per cent from £1.34 over a week in early June last year.

The average price of diesel was a record 191.2p per litre on Monday.

The Competition and Markets Authority has announced it will conduct a “short and focused review of the market” for the sale of road fuel.

That is in response to a request from Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, who admitted people were “rightly frustrated” a 5p per litre cut in fuel duty implemented in March has not stopped pump prices from soaring.

Downing Street has said there were “no plans” for a further cut in fuel duty despite fuel prices continuing to rise.

READ MORE: New record petrol prices hike pressure on Government to cut duty again

We asked Oxfordshire residents filling up at gas stations in East Oxford how they've been impacted by costs of fuel, and every person spoken to agreed their weekly petrol costs have either doubled or risen by at least 60 per cent. 

Amber Wiles, 44, teacher from Radley

Amber Wiles, 44, a teacher who lives in Radley said that her fuel costs have nearly doubled, meaning she’s had to cut activities and ‘luxuries’ from her budget.

The mother-of-two said: “I have to drive my kids to various places, including to meet their father for the weekend.

“I would say it feels like I’m spending twice as much on fuel."

Amber Wiles, 44, a teacher who lives in Oxford.

She continued: “Family days out or things we might see as luxuries is something we have had to put to one side for now.

“I’m in quite a lucky position as I have a job. I get enough money to pay the bills and feed the family. The fact the cost of living continues to go up is a concern for all parents really.”  

READ MORE: 6 money-saving tips to cut your costs straight away

Hugo Rego, 40, from Oxford

Hugo Rego, 40, from Oxford who works on MRI scanners and has two children aged five and eight said: “We need the car for our life and work.

“They need to put the prices down. We are feeling the difference. I hope it is going to get better for my children but we will see.”

Adam Curzon, 51, from Kennington

Adam Curzon, 51, who lives in Kennington works at Helen & Douglas House Children’s Hospice and said the fuel has stretched their budget too. 

Adam Curzon, 51, fills up petrol for Helen & Douglas House.

He said: “It’s a lot very quickly and I understand part of why it has gone up, but at the end of the day the fact costs are still going up across the board.

“We are having to pay 50 per cent more."

In terms of personal changes, he said: “It’s changed the way that I get to work. I now come in on my scooter instead and am not able to bring as much as in a car. My wife and I have been relatively lucky though, we don't tend to spend money on clothes or any luxuries.

“My neighbour is really suffering. He is a pensioner and lives in a council flat. He relies on food from his garden or has had to sell furniture to afford to buy food. He’s just got one chair in his flat.”

Dominic Macialek, 29, from Headington

Dominic Macialek, 29, from Oxford.

Dominic Macialek, 29, App developer who works for the NHS from Oxford said he has decided to use his motorbike now rather than his car, which he is looking at selling. 

"It's a bit of a turn of events with all the car taxes going up as well. I think its going to get worse for everyone."

Basit Khan, 38,

Professional driver Basit Khan, 38, who lives in Oxford and has a two-year-old child says his petrol costs are eating into his profits. 

He said: "I mostly put Diesel in and it costs double what it was. In June it had already gone up to around £1.60 per litre, and now at least £1.70."

Mr Khan said that the costs have only gone up £1 for customers this year. 

He said: "I often have to cancel my one day of the holiday so I can work more to make up the loss. It's quite difficult to survive."

Ali Dammal, 56, from Oxford

Ali Dammal, 56, from Oxford who is also a professional driver described the fuel costs as ‘ridiculous’.

He said: “We lose a lot of profit and fare prices are still the same. It is difficult to make a living.”

Karen Dauncey, 62, from Oxford

A retired doctor from Oxford, Karen Dauncey, 62, shared how she is concerned for her colleagues. 

She said: "I’m really concerned about my former colleagues who have to drive around the community to give house calls. I think fuel prices, in the context of geopolitics, are going to go up even more.

“The whole world is being impacted by what’s happening in Ukraine.”

Retired doctor Karen Dauncey, 62.

Leftikhar Ahmed, in his 60s, from Cowley Road

Leftikhar Ahmed, in his 60s, who owns a fast-food business on Cowley Road said the rising fuel costs are making wholesale prices increase.

He said: “It is dreadful. People can’t afford that, we’ve just come out of Corona and a lot of people lost their lives.

“In our fast food system, we are still holding prices because we know our customers are struggling. People are struggling.

“I have been living in this country for 56 years and I have never seen prices go up like that.”

John Hunt, 25, from Benson 

John Hunt, 25, who is an engineer based in Benson said that he has to drive a lot for work but luckily his company covers it. 

He said: "Obviously the price of living is going up. You just can't go out and do as much anymore. Everyone needs to work as hard as they can. Tough times make tough men. 

"Life is still much better than 100 years ago."

Jaleesa Douglas, 32, from Cowley

Jaleesa Douglas, 32, from Oxford who works in HR at the University of Oxford shared how she has spent £85 on petrol in the past two days, which is double what she’d paid at the beginning of the year for the same journeys.

Jaleesa Douglas, 32, and her mother Sonia Douglas, 61.

She said: “It’s ridiculous. With everything that is going on in the world, and with the cost of living going up, more people are not getting the support that they need.

“I’m worried about the future, I’m getting more concerned about the way costs are rising and people having to give up more and more. Something needs to change”

Read more from this author

This story was written by Shosha Adie. 

She joined the team in 2022 as a digital reporter.   

To get in touch with her email: Shosha.Adie@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter: @ShoshaAdie

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