Chancellor 'needs to help hauliers'

Date: 7/3/2011

The Treasury has been called upon to support the UK's haulage drivers.

According to the Road Haulage Association (RHA), Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne should acknowledge that fuel price rises are troubling for professional drivers, as well as UK families.

The association reveals that the average price of diesel currently stands at £1.36 per litre and that even an annual increase of one penny will add £424 to the cost of running a heavy goods vehicle.

Since October last year, it claims that such drivers have witnessed a cost rise of £6,055 per truck, per year because of the upward movement of fuel prices.

Kate Gibbs, Head of Communications at the RHA, said: "Do help the motorist Mr Osborne. But please remember that the other sectors of the UK economy; manufacturing, private, public and retail are massively dependent on an effective road transport industry."

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander recently told attendees at the Scottish Liberal Democrat spring conference that he is to formerly apply to the European Commission about delivering a five pence per litre discount on fuel to rural communities such as the Scottish islands.

Posted by Mary Treen