Hauliers from Shropshire today vented their frustrations at record fuel prices by joining a national protest in London.
About a dozen county hauliers travelled to the capital in lorries and mini-buses to register their anger.
Representatives from GWD Marston & Son, from Halfway House near Shrewsbury, were among protesters who travelled south to take part in the biggest protest so far over prices.
Other haulage companies making the trip to try to get a rebate on crippling fuel duty included those from Swain’s of Stretton, Steve Swain Transport of Shrewsbury, Renton Haulage of Oswestry, Greyroads of Knockin, Dave Watkins Transport of Oswestry, Jordans Transport of Yockleton and Chris Lewis & Son of Oswestry.
The hauliers lined their lorries along a closed-section of the A40 Westway in west London.
Then a series of police-controlled convoys moved into central London while lorry drivers on foot lobbied Parliament on getting a rebate on fuel duty.
Brian Marston said his company, GWD Marston, faced being put out of business.
“We cannot keep coming back every week asking for more money from our customers,” he said.
“We are seeing companies going to the wall and it’s a big worry,” he added.
Shrewsbury haulier Steve Swain said: “In the last six months it is costing me an extra £350 per vehicle per week in fuel - and it’s not going to get any better. Prices are getting tight.”
4 Comments
good on em!
Lower fuel bills for the road hauliers should mean lower prices for the consumer, (I hope) keep up the good work lads.
we need to keep protesting on the fuel protest then the pm will listen.im training to be a hgv machanic and with the rising fuel costs the hauliers cant afford to keep there lorries mantainted. keep it up lads and keep on truckin
Only the British could be satisfied with a ‘protest’ where they park their lorries on a closed road and then move into the Capital under the direction of the Police.
Can you see that happening in France, where protests actually have a successful outcome occasionally??
Why are they travelling to the Capital anyway?
Surely the biggest problem they face is not the cost of fuel, but the fact Foreign lorries are operating here on cheaper fuel purchased across the Channel, and therefore undercutting them.
You only have to drive down any of our Motorways to see this is true. The number of foreign lorries is ridiculous, with the increased danger to other road users that they bring, and the harm to our own haulage industry that they cause.
Surely the answer is obvious. Do what the French do. Blockade the Ports. Stop the foreign lorries coming in. Make the incident international and then see how quickly the Government acts. You can drive round London all day long and it won’t Bother Gordon Brown. Quite frankly he has far bigger problems to worry about than a few lorries causing minor inconvenience to his own Citizens.