Fuel prices set to hit year high

With the price of fuel rising on an almost daily basis, the future for many UK hauliers is not looking good.

“If ever there were a time for the Chancellor of the Exchequer to reconsider his plan to increase fuel duty by another 2 pence per litre on 1 September it has to be now,” said RHA Head of Communications Kate Gibbs.

“Should he go ahead as planned, this next rise, the third in nine months will equate to an increase of 12 per cent since December last year. What other sector of British industry is, or indeed can be expected to, cope with these continual increases in operating costs?

In April this year, the Chancellor stated that he expected energy prices to come down. He also stated that the 2009 Budget “will build on the strengths of the British economy and its people, speed the recovery, providing jobs and spreading prosperity”. Yet the complete opposite has happened.

“With hauliers struggling harder than ever to get a fair rate for the job, the Chancellor’s vision seems little more than wishful thinking,” continued Kate Gibbs.

“The Treasury tells us that hauliers should simply pass fuel cost increases on to our customers, butfeedback from members tells us that large swathes of the industry will be unable to do so.Mr Darling must recognise that yet another hike in fuel duty will cripple British hauliers, and cripple the British economy.