Motorists could face Sunday driving ban under proposals to save fuel

Drivers could be hit with lower speed limits and a ban on Sunday driving in a bid to tackle the rising cost and demand of petrol.

Motorists across the country are facing mounting costs to fill up their vehicles, with the average litre of unleaded petrol and diesel costing £1.45 and £1.49 at the start of the month.

In an attempt to reduce the UK’s reliance on oil and curb these costs, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has proposed a series of new rules and regulations, saying they could potentially cut global oil demand by 2.7 million barrels per day within four months.

Among the recommendations is a ban on the presence of cars in big cities on Sundays, which they claim would reduce oil use by up to 380,000 barrels per day.

Peter McDermott / Geograph

The IEA has also proposed reducing speed limits on motorways by 6mph to 64mph, saying the speed reduction could save around 290,000 barrels per day from cars and an additional 140,000 from trucks.

Other suggestions include working from home three days a week, virtual meetings, cheaper public transport and more car sharing.

Read More: Expert reveals tips on how to spend less on petrol and diesel as prices reach record highs

Working from home for one day a week is estimated to save 170,000 barrels of oil, while increasing this to three days would save 500,000 barrels per day.

The IEA said these are ‘practical actions’ that could significantly reduce oil demand and soaring prices that drivers are currently facing across Europe.

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IEA executive director Fatih Birol said: “As a result of Russia ’s appalling aggression against Ukraine, the world may well be facing its biggest oil supply shock in decades, with huge implications for our economies and societies.

“IEA Member Countries have already stepped in to support the global economy with an initial release of millions of barrels of emergency oil stocks, but we can also take action on demand to avoid the risk of a crippling oil crunch.

“Our 10-Point Plan shows this can be done through measures that have already been tested and proven in multiple countries.”

This comes as Rishi Sunak prepares his spring statement, where fuel duty could be cut by 5p-a-litre, reducing it from 57.95p to 52.95p.