Hundreds of hauliers converged on London today in protest at soaring fuel prices as Prime Minister Gordon Brown was under pressure over plans for a steep hike in road tax.
Scores of Shropshire lorry drivers were among the protesters angry over increasing prices which have resulted in the average cost of diesel passing far beyond the 120p-a-litre mark.
A busload of hauliers left the county early today, meeting up with trucks from across the region, before heading to Marble Arch in what organisers hope will be the largest-ever fuel duty protest in the capital.
A delegation of hauliers will hand in a letter to 10 Downing Street demanding the immediate introduction of an essential user rebate which would allow heavy goods vehicle to claim some of the fuel duty back.
The protest came as the Government faces another potentially damaging rebellion over tax after backbenchers urged Chancellor Alistair Darling to rethink plans announced in the Budget for big increases in vehicle excise duty on “gas guzzling” cars.
Although vehicles bought before 2001 are exempt, MPs are concerned that the some owners who bought bigger cars in the past not realising the changes were on the way, could be faced with increases of up to £200.
Among the county’s hauliers represented were Chris Parkinson and John Morgan from Shrewsbury, Richard Evans and John Owen from Pant, Mike Thomson and Roy Jones, of Oswestry and David Ford from Wem. Oswestry’s Penton’s Haulage also sent down trucks as part of the convoy.
Jim Jordan, of Shrewsbury-based Jordan’s Transport, said: “What we do is an essential service. I’ve been doing this for 44 years and I don’t want to stop. If everyone just parked up and left the business, then there would be a real mess.
“We want an essential user rebate, and although that might sound hard on the ordinary motorist, they will see the difference in the costs at the other end of the chain, like in the supermarkets.
“We know nothing can be done about the price of oil, but there is no other industry paying tax like we are.”
By Amy Bould
15 Comments
Good for them. If this is the only kind of action that Brown and his gang of half wits will take notice of, then so be it. For too long road users have been shafted at every opportunity by government, and we’ve just sat there and taken it on the chin. The protests of 2000 gave Blair the kick up the backside he so rightly deserved back then; I sincerely hope this time around Brown too feels the strength of feeling.
In addition to the fuel rip off, the clueless incompetents who unfortunately make up our government and its advisers, also intend “shaking up” the current road tax bandings. Guess who’s going to feel the effects of this more than most? of course: the easy targets as always - Mr and Mrs Average. Another spectacular miscalculation along the lines of the 10p tax fiasco waiting in the wings there methinks.
i live i telford
and my dad is a lorry driver
and if the fuel costest dont stop rising a lot of the small haulage companies will go out off business
need to get rid of the taxt on fuel as soon as
Why, exactly, are a lot of small haulage companies going to go out of business? It’s the same situation for all hauliers - if the demand for their services is there, they will survive. If they choose not to pass on their increased costs, that’s their risk. The economy will find its equilibrium level.
well in telford there are a lot of small haulage companies and owner drivers and some of the owner drivers my family nose and they are not making enough money from there loads to keep there trucks on the road
even though im only 15 years old ive been round trucks and road haulage all my life and im in full support of the hauliers all round britan
Warrick - I’m sure you could have a rhinoplasty for your “family nose”.
Seriously, though, obviously they’re not running their business properly if they can’t keep their trucks on the road. All sectors of the economy suffer raw material price rises.
Harold,
I think the problem is that we can no longer compete with foreign haulage companies who don’t have to deal with such high duty rates, especially on diesel.
The greed of the OPEC countries in restricting the supply of oil in order to keep the price high is at the root of this. The government is compounding the problem by failing to reduce duties quickly or substantially enough, and failing to implement a much-deserved windfall tax on the obscene profits of oil companies.
Additionally, the government should be spending less time listening to hysterical environmentalist doom-mongers. Even respected climate change scientists have begun to express concerns at some of the propaganndist exaggerations of the self appointed eco-warriors - there is no oil supply crisis at present - it’s all about profit.
I saw some smug Greenpeace chap on the telly yesterday glibly suggesting that the answer to higher road tax rates was for those with older cars to buy more fuel-efficient modern cars. Using what for funds during this credit crunch I wonder? OK if you’ve got a highly paid eco-job and the benefit of London’s public transport system, but the rest of us live in a different world.
The environmental lobby as well as the government should be held to account for the severe damage they’re causing to our economy - if we look at the benefits of all these eco-taxes to the Earth’s environment they are barely measurable, if at all - and the idea that we could influence the major polluters of the world such as China, the US and India by leading by example was always childishly naive. Their economic success is now being achieved at the expense of our self-imposed puritanism. They must be laughing their socks off at us.
GO FOR IT GUYS!!! you have my backing 100%.
I would imagine that most people who drive will back you up too.
Teach this government a lesson they wont forget-the french & spanish truckers do it so why shouldn’t we?
DON’T give up this time either like they did in 2000.
Things will get worse for us all in the short term if they blockade the fuel depo’s but in the long term we all win!
Go for it truckers, I think you have the backing of the majority in this one. To Imply that they are somehow “not running their companies properly” is just stupid, some of these firms have been in existance over 40 years.
The fact is you have haulage companies from overseas who are able to register and work in the uk, alot of whom fill up in France and other countries and work within the UK.
Go for it block all the roads if you need to. How can they say they need to raise the price of fuel when all the private companies, esso, bp, tesco, sainsburys etc keep saying they are making ever increasing profits - surely in that case there is no reason for them to NEED to raise the price of fuel. Its about time government cut the tax rate, and thought about nationalising fuel so it wasnt a profit making source for all these private companies.
H. St. John Peasbody
Hauliers are running their businesses properly, we cannot pass on the costs. Three times this year alone we have implemented fuel surcharges to our customers, the first two were accepted and the costs then passed on to Joe Public, our third attempt this month has been rejected and our customers are now using foreign hauliers who come into this country with cheaper fuel from abroad, they use our roads for free and are paid less than our drivers. We cannot compete with them. Hauliers are sick to death with being taxed to the hilt and fed up with this government allowing foreigners to take all our work because they can do it much cheaper than us. There is no level playing field and this government allows it. Over the years British industry has dwindled to practically nothing and if haulage is next then what as a country have we got??? Nothing!!
Well, Hannah, if British hauliers can’t compete, “so what?”
As consumers, we demand low prices at the checkouts. As a result, our food comes from every corner of the globe. Manufactured goods come from China. Haulage services come from wherever. We, as consumers, have driven this.
I don’t buy your excuses, Hannah: we’re in a European community now so this competition is fair game.
H. St. John Peasbody,
I have to agree competition is good but only when it is fair. I like most other people I know like to get the best deal on what ever we buy. Wether this is a TV, computer or food. But by getting the cheapest price and funding over seas economies is hurting the UK in all aspects and the fuel costs are compounding this by limiting our choices in the supermarkets. You look the next time you go shopping all the farm fields you pass with perfectly good crops but because of the cost of fuel its stuck there and your food comes from overseas. It has a knock on effect how far are you willing to open your eyes and see what is giong on is up to you. As for me I am looking towards my childrens future every time I buy from outside the UK I hurt thier future, from options of what to buy and what employment will be around.
They are not excuses Mr Peasbody they are facts, whether you “buy it or not”. I have no issue with competition, competition is good but unfair competition is not good especially when the unfair competition are driving on our countries roads in shody and unroadworthy vehicles killing british people because they have been driving for 24+ hours without breaks. That isn’t fair competition nor is the fact they contribute no money to the british treasury because they don’t fill up with fuel here they bring it in from abroad, they don’t pay to use our roads, we do through exorbiatant road licencing fees and we also pay to use their roads. Pray tell where is the fair competition in that???
H. St. John Peasbody obviously your not affected by this FUEL PRICE HIKE if we passed the cost of increased fuel onto the consumer EVERYTIME then people like you would be forced to make cuts what we try to do is balance a budget for the fuel but when the price target changes 5 times in 5 weeks we cant carry on. Your looking at a 3rd WORLD COUNTRY if we dont act NOW then let’s here you say EVERYTHING IS ROSEY IN THE GARDEN and IT’S EXCUSES your talking TRASH
mr peasbody do you drive a lorry and for what company. and if you dont drive a lorry for a living you dont no how much the desial has gone up.