The price of diesel continued to break all records last week, as the Road Haulage Association's weekly price monitor showed an increase of 0.92p to 84.21p/litre - the highest price ever. This is the 10th successive weekly rise and means a litre of diesel has risen from 73p to nearly 85p in this year alone. Since 1999 the price has risen by around 50%. Not only are the trade associations dismayed at the continuing rise but they
have criticised the government for its inaction.
The Freight Transport Association's director of external affairs, Geoff Dossetter, says: "We desperately need a system that separates the way we tax fuel for cars compared with fuel for commercial vehicles - presently duty of 50p per litre is charged on both, whether that applies to a small family car doing 7,000 miles a year or a 44-tonne truck doing 75,000 miles per year."
Both the FTA and the RHA want the government to reverse the latest 2p/lit increase in fuel duty, but despite press reports of possible protests in the run-up to Christmas the RHA say this is unlikely.
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