RHA calls for haulage companies to rethink fuel protests
Date: 14 November 2007
The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has called upon haulage companies and owner operators to rethink plans to protest against the rising cost of fuel.
According to the organisation, taking trucks onto the nation's roads could be counter-productive to the industry's goals or even illegal.
Despite this, the industry body recognised that the high cost of fuel for British drivers is unfair and needs to be addressed.
"We do not believe that protest action is the constructive way forwards and such an approach would not be supported by the large majority of our members," said RHA chief executive Roger King.
"Nonetheless, the increasing duty burden is clearly unfair and we look to the government to recognise that fact and to act accordingly."
The organisation pointed out that diesel tax in Britain is twice as much as that in the rest of the EU. With an estimated 15,000 European road haulage companies and owner operators working in Britain, the RHA argues this places British haulage drivers at a disadvantage.
Scottish RHA members also met recently to agree on what action to take regarding fuel price increases. Commenting on the fact that before 50p duty and 15p VAT, the price of diesel is only 37p a litre, the group said that "the extra revenue is a windfall and giving the excess back in a duty reduction or an increase in duty if oil prices drop, gives everybody certainty to plan for the future".
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