The owner of Autoglass will reportedly eliminate 400 jobs due to increasing fuel costs, which led to increasingly cautious driving behaviour and thus, decreasing the demand for vehicle repair. Belron, which employs 3000 staff in the UK, said that mild conditions over some of the winter, combined with higher fuel prices, caused people to drive more slowly and for shorter distances. The warmer conditions and rise in a more careful approach to driving has resulted in less vehicle glass damage, also reducing the size of the wider market by 11%, Autoglass said. The move was announced as the most recent figures from the AA showed the average cost of petrol at 136.07/litre with diesel at 139.77p/litre. Belron therefore, announced that they have entered a 30 day consultation process with regards to plans to make 300 permanent and 100 temporary employees redundant across the whole company.
