Remember that old line about life’s only certainties being death and taxes? Until recently, you could add a political certainty to that list. Something very strange has just happened, however, in British politics. Autumn began in the customary way, with the annual party conferences, but these did not follow the traditional template.

Two odd things happened – or, rather, did not happen. Firstly, none of the parties held their conference at a seaside resort. More importantly, nobody at any of the events had anything to say to commercial road users.

The Transport Secretary’s 1,553-word annual speech devoted just 75 words to road transport. His Labour shadow made only passing mention of fitting HGVs with cyclist safety bars. The LibDems found it necessary to debate football, but not roads. Even the Greens scheduled sessions on foie gras, gambling and Catalan independence, but not on road transport. As for UKIP, just try searching “UKIP transport policy” on Google.

With politicians seemingly interested only in air and rail travel, if your business relies on road transport you are entitled to feel neglected. There is a serious point to this. If any party were planning something of benefit to commercial road users, it would have received the full publicity treatment. That did not happen.

Road transport, for passengers or freight, is not a luxury but a critical part of everyday life. Politicians seem to have forgotten the public panic when fuel deliveries were interrupted. Whatever the reasons, nobody appears greatly concerned about the crucial role of road vehicles to your business. So, do not look for government help.

Fuel duty is not due for another increase in the near future and there has been a minor price skirmish between supermarkets lately. The result has been fairly stable diesel and petrol prices. Do not be fooled. Over anything but the immediate short term, fuel prices can only head in one direction. So, you have three options.

You could just pay pump prices, if you have limitless budgets. You could choose the wrong fuel card and pay fees on top of the pump prices, or pick from a restricted range offered by the wrong supplier. Or, you could pick the right fuel card, from a supplier able to offer discounts on every major brand and more, without extra charges.

It’s your call. Call us.