News about Paul Barker

When your car hits this mileage, it suffers the most significant decrease in value in its lifetime

www.dailymail.co.uk, February 13, 2024
According to Carwow results, a vehicle declines by 27% as it approaches a certain mileage, which is the most significant financial loss in its lifetime. According to the car buying and selling portal, there are three mileage markers that owners should watch out for when selling.

How much will frozen income tax bands suck out of your pay packet?This is Money podcast

www.dailymail.co.uk, October 20, 2023
Wages are up, but inflation remains the same. What does it all mean for mortgage rates, the state pension, benefits and the economy generally? Income tax bands, as we know, would not be affected by the most recent estimate. Just how much is the big freeze - AKA fiscal drag - going to cost us?

I took my family on holiday to France in a BMW electric car - here's what it's really like using an EV for a continental road trip

www.dailymail.co.uk, October 15, 2023
Taking the family away on holiday can be exhausting enough, particularly if you're heading for a long-distance road trip to reach a European destination. On top of all of this, consider the additional strain of anxiety. Yet, the truth is that electric vehicle sales are on the rise, meaning that more and more motorists are using EVs for big-mile commutes. But is it practical for long-time petrolheads? Paul Barker (pictured inset), the managing editor of car manufacturer carwow, has been involved in vehicle journalism for more than 20 years and has won most of them with a petrol or diesel engine. So, when the opportunity arose to take a £123,000 BMW iX EV to France for a two-week family break, there was obvious trepidation. He shares his experience in the hopes of revealing some of the unavoidable truths about traveling by battery power in this holiday destination.

In Bath, new ULEZ-style parking regulations were introduced, with the slogan "stealth tax on motorists" rising in protests over proposals that could result in diesel drivers being charged more for using public car parks

www.dailymail.co.uk, September 7, 2023
Owners of the most polluting diesel vehicles will see their prices increase this week, from £1.70 per hour to £2.50, a 47 percent rise. Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) Council claims that asking people with more expensive polluting cars to pay will result in a'shift to cleaner, more comfortable travel in the city.' According to the council's estimates, the majority of current car park users, 66 percent, will see additional charges start tomorrow, with one infuriated driver calling it 'just another way... to tax the drivers and raise more money.'

Parking garages in Bath must be controlled by ULEZ-style: The City of Bath has introduced variable parking fees based on a vehicle's emissions

www.dailymail.co.uk, September 7, 2023
Starting Friday, Bath is expected to charge variable parking based on vehicle emissions beginning on September 8th. Owners of all diesel cars and some high-emission petrols will be charged more to use council-owned parking lots in the city center as a result of the ULEZ-style laws. It means that the prices of the most polluting diesels will increase this week from £1.70 per hour to £2.50, a 47 percent increase. Bath and North East Somerset Council has announced that by requesting people with higher polluting vehicles to pay'slightly more,' it will encourage a'shift to cleaner, more sustainable travel in the city.' "The aim is to minimize the number of high-polluting vehicles driving into Bath, particularly those with persistent heart and lung disease," the company said.

The DVLA has a list of new 73 number plates that have been barred from driving

www.dailymail.co.uk, August 23, 2023
New '73' registration plates will be available from next week, but more than 200 combinations have been banned as they are considered offensive. The Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency tests out potential number plates, but no such plates are available, and any that "may cause offence, embarrassment, or are in poor taste" are not available. We have the complete list.

Divorcee, 53, tried to kill herself and her autistic son, 20, by dragging him in front of a train

www.dailymail.co.uk, January 12, 2023
Andrea Reid (pictured left), 53, of Wilmslow, Cheshire, has been sentenced to three years in prison for trying to throw herself and her autistic son Daniel, 20, into the path of a moving train on July 26 last year. Reid was trapped in a bitter custody dispute with her ex-husband at the time, and she was determined not to have her son have any contact with him. Reid was discovered by police in a hysterical state and arrested at the scene. She appeared in court (right) in Chester, where she pleaded guilty to attempted murder.