Worrying news for the fuel industry came this week in the shape of Petroplus, Europe’s largest independent oil refiner, announcing it is to file for insolvency.

As shares in Petroplus were suspended, so too were fuel supplies by the Coryton refinery in Essex, which is owned by the beleaguered oil giant. Unfortunately, it also supplies around 20 percent of London and the south east’s petrol. The question that springs to our mind is: what will the fall-out be, regionally and nationally, of one of the UK’s largest refineries stopping its taps?

Despite assurances from analysts and spokespeople that this shortfall will be made up for by other refineries in the south, this news will no doubt shake the industry and individual businesses already fighting to keep their heads above water.

And it’s not just national fuel supplies on the line. Coryton refinery directly employs about 500 staff and 350 contractors. Hundreds more Petroplus jobs elsewhere in the country are also at risk.

All in all, it’s been a bleak week for the oil industry. The EU has just approved sanctions to boycott fuel from Iran. And in the north of England, petrol supplies to Jet stations are under threat after fuel truck workers began a seven-day strike over pay and pensions  outside the ConocoPhillips-owned Humber oil refinery.

Peter Carroll of campaign group FairFuelUK, warned that petrol and diesel prices at the pumps could both pass £1.50 per litre “within days”.

“This could be the tipping point,” he told the Express. “The toxic combination of the situation with Iran, the Wincanton drivers’ strike and the Coryton refinery closure will be very dangerous.”

He also warned of further problems brought about by the “temptation to panic buy and profiteering”.

We don’t know about you, but all this has left us with a dreadful sinking feeling that the darkest days for the transport industry may indeed lie ahead…

To sign the national petition for fairer fuel prices, visit www.fairfueluk.com

This campaign has the backing of The Fuelcard Company, the Road Haulage Association, RAC and the Freight Transport Association.

You’ll remember we wrote about fuel fraud last October after watching the BBC Panorama documentary ‘The Great British Fuel Robbery’ – we hope you were paying attention. Bit of an update for you: the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee in London is currently investigating fuel fraud and yesterday Environment Minister Alex Attwood announced there has been a significant decline in prosecutions, convictions and penalties against those involved in fuel smuggling.

This sounds promising, perhaps Panorama has scared the petrol pilferers off??? But alas, no, this  is unlikely to be as a result of less activity on the police’s part who have said ’targeting major crime gangs has become a priority’ meaning the actions of fuel fraudsters may have got lost in the mix. It seems as if people are often too afraid to report these crimes, and there’s even been talk of the understanding policeman on the beat perhaps turning a blind eye while pump prices continue to soar?

Panorama suggested businesses are being forced to question their morality and weigh up keeping their business afloat against the implications of sourcing cheap, and mostly illegal, fuel.

Although using illegal fuel, such as rebated heavy oil (red diesel) or fuel bought from questionable garages, can seem like an attractive way to immediately lower fuel expense, especially as diesel prices continue to spiral, drivers mustn’t forget the legal ramifications for those caught using illicit fuel. Red dye diesel is for use only by farmers and building contractors for off-road vehicles.  It’s against the law to run a vehicle on red diesel if it’s registered to be on the road and the owners of cars found to be running on red diesel can be given a £500 on-the-spot fine and are likely to have the vehicle seized by customs officers.

Panorama reported that some crafty fuel thieves are filtering the red dye out of rebated heavy oil and re-selling back to drivers – this filtered fuel can seriously damage a vehicle’s engine and can still be identified as contraband by HMRC officials.

Not really worth it is it? Especially if you consider that using a fuel card can give you significant savings on fuel. We can help you control your fuel costs and, when using a fixed-price fuel card, you could save on average 2 to 3 pence on diesel pump prices.

So instead of giving in to the swindlers, you can ensure you reclaim 100 percent of VAT on business fuel expenses with a fuel card on www.fuelcards.co.uk. Sounds like a plan!

One news story which certainly caught our eye this week focused on the effects poor eyesight and health among motorists can have on road safety.

We applaud Meg Munn MP, who was recognised with the Brake and Direct Line’s Road Safety Parliamentarian of the Month Award for her campaign to introduce regular eye tests for drivers, as reported by Fleet News on Friday.

The Fuelcard Company wholeheartedly supports Munn’s efforts to raise awareness of an issue which can be all too easy for drivers to underestimate. The consequences of sweeping the problem under the carpet however, can be tragic. Munn started her campaign after Fiona Buckley, the niece of a constituent, was run over and killed while crossing the road in 2008 by a driver with defective eyesight.

As part of the MP’s campaign, the Government is being urged to change current legislation, with driver eye tests carried out via scientific methods by qualified practitioners instead of the current limited number-plate test. The initiative also calls for drivers to be re-tested at least every ten years and aims to raise awareness among the motorists themselves – to drive home the importance of getting their eyes checked at least every two years.

This should act as a major wake-up call for motorists not to underestimate the effects health issues can have on their driving awareness, behaviour and safety, as well as for fleet managers who have a duty of care to their employees and other road users. Regular health checks for conditions such as high or low blood pressure can alert drivers to problems that could potentially affect their ability to drive safely.

Earlier this month, we also reported on the effects heavy colds and flu can have on drivers’ reaction times. Read on tofind out how illness can be akin to drinking four double whiskies!

It is widely known how dangerous it is to drive under the influence of drink or drugs, so why should health problems, which in some cases bring the same cognitive side-effects, be viewed any differently?

It’s been reported today that motorists with a heavy cold or flu suffer slower reaction speeds and increased erratic driving – similar to the habits of a drink-driver – that could put themselves and other drivers at risk.

We’re genuinely surprised! We all know that whatever your job and especially while on the road, working with a cold can be a real nightmare but we didn’t think that it could really put people’s lives at risk.

The research, carried out by Young Marmalade in association with Halfords, was conducted using a telematics box which records drivers’ speed, braking and cornering habits and found that drivers with a heavy cold are likely to also suffer a 50 percent drop in their driving ability. That’s equivalent to drinking four double whiskies! Scary? We think so!

Although there aren’t any official stats regarding accidents caused by sneezes, coughs and stray tissues, the insurance industry suspects that motorists are responsible for thousands of accidents while under the weather.

Co-Founder of Young Marmalade, Nigel Lacy, said that the study represents a warning for motorists, adding that “a heavy cold can impair a driver’s mood, concentration and judgement”, while a spokesman for the Central Motorway Police Group said that motorists could even be prosecuted for getting behind the wheel with a heavy cold.

While we’re not suggesting you should stay in and put your feet up at the first sign of sniffles, this advice is definitely worth heeding in order to keep yourself and others safe. Better safe than sorry…