Chancellor set to scrap fuel duty increase
Date: 12 March 2008
Couriers were pleased to learn that the chancellor has opted to delay a 2p rise in fuel duty for six months.
Ahead of chancellor Alistair Darling's Budget, a number of sources suggested that he was set to offer some relief to couriers and other road users by delaying the increase in fuel duty.
The rise had been announced in last year's Budget and was due to come into force on April 1st.
However, the rise was met with criticism from motoring groups, including those which represent the interests of couriers.
For example, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) said that the proposed increase would seriously impact on the competitiveness of couriers and other owner drivers in the UK.
In a statement ahead of the Budget, the FTA said: "The increasing price of oil on the world market has created record high prices of diesel for lorry operators and the government must not load more pain on industry by increasing fuel duty.
"During February an alliance of business and motoring representative groups told the chancellor that the higher cost of transporting goods and services resulting from price rises in fuel had impacted on every single company throughout the UK, and thus on their customers."
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