The motorist was left alone in yesterday's Budget even though there had been widespread expectation of some increase in petrol and diesel prices.
Mr Eddie Nolan, chairman and managing director of Ford, saw it as "a generous and positive Budget which both encourages investment and substantially increases the disposable income of the average earner". Mr Conor Faughnan of the Automobile Association thought that leaving petrol untouched was very welcome. "Petrol prices are up by over 12 per cent in 1999 because of rising oil prices and seem set to rise further. I hope that at long last petrol has ceased to be an `old reliable'."