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The trade associations stress that the industry must keep driving home its message despite the Chancellor's postponement of October's 2p/litre fuel duty increase.  James Hookham, FTA director of policy, says: "Although for the time being the Chancellor isn't pushing the knife in any further, we cannot slack off as there are other key things we are calling for."

The FTA met with Treasury officials last Friday to discuss its PricewaterhouseCoopers report on fuel duty differentiation  and received a strong indication that the Treasury felt, if it did introduce an essential-user rebate for our industry, the public and other sectors would say it was unfair.  Hookham is concerned the government will use this as an excuse and "do nothing" so is urging the industry to keep lobbying their MPs. "Write to them and explain the dire situation the road transport industry is in," he says.

Roger King, RHA chief executive, says: "We have to redouble our efforts and we have to be realistic in that we won't get an essential-user rebate any time soon due to the government's financial situation, but I don't see why the government can't make sure the level of taxation doesn't rise any further." The RHA met Angela Eagle, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, last Wednesday, to reiterate a case for introducing a vignette-type daily charge on foreign trucks. In a constructive dialogue, the RHA challenged the assumptions which led to the Treasury's decision not to go ahead with  a vignette and has been asked to go back to Eagle with detailed figures.

Following its meeting, the findings of the Transport Select Committee's Freight Transport report, published on Saturday, have strengthened the RHA's case by claiming that the high fuel taxes UK hauliers pay compared with EU rivals are unfair and that the government should take action. Meanwhile, TransAction met with Louise Ellman, chair of the House of Commons Transport Select Committee last Thursday and says it is still pushing for a meeting with the Chancellor.

Peter Carroll, who runs Seymour Transport and is a spokesman for TransAction, says: "We are less concerned about the public sympathy angle as we think the public understands our cause."