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Politicians have played down the plight of 99% of operators rejecting potential lorry road user charges, claiming that a lack of understanding blinds them to potential benefits. The Liberal Democrats hit back at CM's latest Michelin Panel results, claiming the 95% who are anti-lorry road user charging may change their tune if they realise it could level the playing field with non-UK hauliers.

A spokeswoman for the party rubs salt in the wounds of 99% of survey participants, who demand VED is scrapped if a lorry road user charge is implemented. The Lib Dems say that if they were elected, during the party's first two parliamentary terms, VED would remain static for lorries, even though a lorry road charge would be enforced in the group's motorway and trunk road scheme.

Lib Dem shadow transport secretary Norman Baker claims there will be more of a fair footing between domestic and foreign hauliers: "Foreign lorries would be charged as and when they left the country based on mileage used. We are also asking the Channel Tunnel to lower fuel amounts allowed into the UK via lorries."

 If a lorry road user charge is introduced, 100% of operators questioned by CM insist fuel duty must be reduced. Baker says the party would fight for fuel costs to be dropped by 10% to ease the financial burden.

A huge 84% do not believe trucks should be included  in congestion schemes and Theresa Villiers, Conservative shadow secretary of state for transport, commented last week at CM's Green conference: "Congestion is a drag on our competitiveness. The answer is not persecuting people with more taxes. We understand that the haulage industry depends on the roads and keeps the country running.

"We believe there is a role for road pricing in a certain context, like helping dealing with foreign lorries paying no road tax." Referring to LEZs, Baker does not think it is helpful to tie up congestion with emissions and this is why people get confused. He considers it's a politician's duty to inform operators on why precisely taxes and rules are introduced.

Although the Department for Transport (DfT) could not comment directly on the survey results, a DfT spokeswoman states: "We have always been clear that tackling congestion is a top priority. That means focusing on places where it is a problem now - in towns and cities and on motorways."