FairFuelUK keeps up the pressure
March 1st 2011 On Tuesday 15th March, a week before the Budget, FairFuelUK will take a symbolic big cheque to the Treasury emphasising the huge amount taken in fuel duty from all road users every year.
The total fuel duty contribution made to Treasury coffers by motorists, hauliers and all road users comes to £26.2bn. Acute concerns that the high and rising price of fuel is bad for the economy and simply unsustainable for businesses and the motoring public alike, have been brought to the fore by the Campaign over recent weeks.
In addition, the Road Haulage Association reacted with guarded optimism to hints of fuel duty cuts from the Chancellor of the Exchequer at the Conservative spring conference.
“Of course it is encouraging to know that Mr Osborne is aware that the rises in world oil prices are hurting British families when he states that based on £1.30 a litre for petrol, it will cost £80 to fill a family car,” said RHA head of communications, Kate Gibbs. “But when will he acknowledge the crippling effects that these price hikes are having on UK road hauliers?”
Today’s average pump price for diesel stands at £1.36. Every 1 penny increase adds £424 a year to the cost of running a HGV. Since October 2010 that has meant an increase of £6,055 per truck per year as a direct result of rises in the price of fuel.
“These additional rises are putting a tremendous extra financial burden on the haulier and on the country’s economic recovery - each is vitally dependent on the other for survival,” Gibbs continued. More articles from Handling & Storage Solutions: | 
