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The tactic of lobbying ministers and MPs directly could prove an important new weapon in the battle for a lower rate of fuel duty. Peter Carroll, owner of Seymour Transport and spokesman for TransAction, met transport minister Jim Fitzpatrick during last week’s fuel protest in Westminster and requested a meeting with Gordon Brown and/or Chancellor Alistair Darling to discuss escalating costs.

Speaking to MT, Carroll says: "We have asked for a meeting with the Prime Minister or the Chancellor and  await a reply."I think Fitzpatrick now understands there is a crisis in the industry. "Most people in the Commons were impressed by how united we all are as a group and how we are putting our arguments directly to the heart of government."

Ian Jarman, environmental and legislation manager at Owens Logistics, believes it was vital that he got the chance to meet his local Llanelli MP, Nia Griffith, face-to-face at the lobby at Parliament last Wednesday afternoon. "We believe she listened carefully and took on board what the protest was about," says Jarman. "She has said she is going to discuss with various departments everything we have put to her."

Jarman wants the government to announce immediately it will scrap any possibility of increasing fuel duty in October by 2p/litre. A Transport Association spokesman adds: "Our members were glad they had the opportunity to meet their MPs, get a sympathetic hearing and find that MPs are beginning to understand their  problems."

Jack Semple, policy director for the RHA, which helped organise the protest, adds: "The media coverage was very strong. We are very pleased with how the day went and the number of hauliers who turned up outside Parliament. "It is a huge commitment for people who run businesses to turn out like they did and we think there were enough people there for it to look impressive."