April 1 fuel duty increase is a joke says RHA

Friday, 5 March 2010 12:00 AM

UK hauliers are currently paying record prices for diesel fuel but, if the Chancellor goes ahead with his planned fuel duty increase of 2.5 pence per litre on April 1, it could mean the end of the road for many of them.

"Diesel is the commodity on which this industry is totally reliant," said RHA Chief Executive Geoff Dunning. "We are already paying fuel duty rates that are up to six times higher than our European counterparts. If the Chancellor goes ahead with the 2.5 increase next month, it will mean that road transport operators will, on average, be paying an extra £1,100 per year in fuel duty alone, and that's on top of the price of the fuel itself.

According to the Treasury, duty increases are 'an important part of the deficit reduction plan'.

"Of course we understand that in order to regain economic stability, certain sacrifices have to be made," continued Geoff Dunning. "But it seems grossly unfair that the UK haulage industry, the one sector on which the rest of UK plc is so dependent, should be the one to have its throat cut in this way. We need a Chancellor who is prepared to listen to and help this industry. Not one who seems hell-bent on driving it off the road completely".

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