Motorbike insurance customers may welcome calls on petrol firms

When people need to drive a motorbike for a short period of time, whether they are borrowing the vehicles to make long journeys, taking holidays with them or anything else, they often have to keep their costs in check. It is no surprise then that many are keen to make the most of competitively priced short term motorbike insurance.

However, it is not only the issue of temporary motorbike insurance that they have to bear in mind. They also have to fill up at the petrol pumps, and this can be expensive.

Commenting on this issue recently, transport secretary Justine Greening claimed that motorists may be being "ripped off" and said she is giving fuel companies "one last chance".

In an interview in with the Sun, she remarked: "Petrol prices go up instantly when wholesale prices rise, but when wholesale prices fall it can take weeks for them to come down again."

The politician said that she has ordered officials to draw up a code of conduct in order to shame retailers out of over-charging. She is also devising a new price register so that temporary motorbike insurance customers and other road users can go online to find the cheapest petrol and diesel.

She added: "I want companies to come up with their own plan as soon as possible - and I'm talking days and weeks, not months. That way we can get prices down faster, rather than having to pass time-consuming legislation. But we will certainly do that if we have to."

Ms Greening's proposals may be welcomed by individuals who need to make use of short term motorbike insurance. Meanwhile, the AA has spoken out in support of the minister's call to action. Its chief Edmund King said she deserved "full credit" for the ideas she is implementing.