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driving it home

A litre of regular in Canada has been hovering around $1.30 in some parts and that's cheap - at least compared to pump prices in the United Kingdom.

In Britain, a gallon of gas sells for £6, which translates to $9.40 in our Canadian currency. Converted to metric, this is comparable to paying $2.07 per litre in Canada.

You can understand now why the UK's motor industry lobby group, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), is calling for a freeze on the fuel duty, as well as not raising vehicle taxes beyond levels set in last year's budget, reports www.just-auto.com.

At least the driving distances in Britain are relatively short, compared to Canada. On the other hand, traffic snarls are now so horrific and so completely unpredictable, British drivers who are smart avoid the motorways almost entirely.

Two weeks ago I was in England to visit my cousins. For the drive from Heathrow Airport to their house in the British Midlands, my cousin Michael insisted on taking only back roads, the single and dual carriageways.

"Once you're on the motorways and there's a problem - and there is always a problem - you can't get off. You can be stuck in traffic for hours, not moving at all," he lamented.

In short, driving the motorways in the land of Top Gear has become a nightmare. How very sad and a cautionary tale for Canada.

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