HIGH prices of petrol and diesel are making drivers in Taunton, Wellington and West Somerset think twice about using their cars, the County Gazette has found.
Motorists say they are feeling the pinch at the forecourts, with taxi drivers, haulage firms and independent petrol stations among those hardest hit.
Many say fuel prices are crippling their businesses and are leaving their livelihoods in doubt.
The AA says the price of diesel is rising twice as fast as petrol, with the difference in price between the two fuels stretching from 7.5p in March to 9.4p in April.
AA spokesman Luke Bosdet said car-dependent people living in rural communities and lower income drivers were suffering the most.
Mr Bosdet said: "For the majority of motorists, they are absorbing the extra cost into their budgets.
"But for the lower income driver who relies on their car, it's really beginning to bite."
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