Britain goes slow as trains, planes and ships cut fuel costs

The soaring cost of oil has led to the slowing of vehicles of almost every type in Britain, from planes to trains, ferries, merchant vessels, buses and private cars.

Pilots and ships' captains have been ordered to go slow, train drivers have been asked to switch off engines and coast downhill and bus companies are training staff to drive more smoothly in order to cut costs.

As the oil price hit a record high of $142 a barrel (£71.14) yesterday, two big British airlines, easyJet and BMI, confirmed they had asked their pilots to fly more slowly. EasyJet, Europe's second biggest budget airline, said it had cut flying speeds on some routes by up to 2% to conserve cash. "It's like travelling in a car. If you take your foot off the gas slightly, you use less fuel," said an easyJet spokesman.