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Raising fuel taxes in the Budget would put even more pressure on the beleaguered UK haulage industry, says the Road Haulage Association (RHA).

Jack Semple, the RHA’s director of policy, says that any rise in duty would damage an industry that “already pays the highest fuel tax in Europe” and he urged Gordon Brown to consider  cutting duty rather than increasing it.

Semple made his comments in the wake of the European Commission’s decision to raise the level of minimum diesel duty in Europe. The levels proposed by the Commission would raise duty in some countries, but still leave many at less than half the level taken by the UK government.

He adds: “The changes to the minimum level are welcome, but they do just highlight how much more expensive fuel is for UK hauliers than for the rest of Europe. UK hauliers have to compete with the foreign trucks they see on our roads every day, but not on a level playing field.”