Mixed reaction in Shropshire to fuel duty change
Wednesday 23rd March 2011, 2:30PM GMT.
As pump prices reached a record of more than 140p a litre for diesel, the Chancellor’s scrapping of a rise in duty met with mixed reaction from two Shropshire motoring campaigners.
Telford-based road-pricing campaigner Peter Roberts said: “While it is welcome that a fuel duty increase looks to be postponed, it should have been scrapped altogether with duty on motoring fuels reduced to help hard pressed families and the economy.
“With burgeoning increases in the cost of running trucks and cars, prices will inevitably rise for all goods and services adding to inflationary pressures in the economy and increased wage demands from people struggling to pay their way to work.
“We will see real hardship in families who rely on a car to be able to work with this continuing tax grab on motoring.
“It is time governments accepted that freedom to travel is a basic need and not an inexhaustible supply of money from the pockets of motorists,” added Mr Roberts.
Jason Green, from Yockleton near Shrewsbury, is spearheading a Facebook campaign calling on motorists to boycott fuel stations on April 1.
He said George Osborne’s measures today did not go nearly far enough.
He said: “As far as the Chancellor is concerned I feel that a decrease in duty of a permanent scale and frozen price for petrol for a period of time is very feasible.”
He added: “One pence per litre will not make a blind bit of difference to the reaction of people towards fuel prices, considering 3p per litre has been placed on the price of fuel in the Shrewsbury area alone in the last 3 weeks!”
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1p a litre….
what a joke.
how much has it risen lately…
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Predictably, the price at the pump this morning was exactly the same as it has been for the last few days, despite the change taking effect from 6pm last night. There’s probably some excuse – the duty was paid on the bulk delivery at the pre-budget rate, or something.
Even so, with the 1p cut, I’ll save 70p per fill. A return to last week’s prices – big deal!
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