A 2p/litre increase in fuel duty was imposed this week, despite last ditch lobbying from the trade associations. Road Haulage Association (RHA) chief executive and chairman Roger King and Willie Oliver and Freight Transport Association (FTA) chief executive and president Theo de Pencier and Andy Haines delivered a document to the Treasury last Friday detailing the industry's fears over the impact of the rise.
A Treasury spokesman says the government feels increasing the fuel duty is important
"both for environmental reasons and to support public services". But the RHA and FTA have blasted its claimed "continuing support for the UK's haulage industry" with initiatives freezing vehicle excise duty and investing more into VOSA enforcement as little compensation for the impact of the duty rise.
Further increases in fuel of 2p/litre and 1.8p/litre are due to hit in April 2008 and April 2009 respectively.
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