“ASDA Helps the Motorist - Will the Chancellor Help the Haulier?” asks the Road Haulage Association

LONDON - The Road Haulage Association has reacted strongly to the news that supermarket giant ASDA is to slash the cost of a litre of unleaded and diesel to less than GBP1.

“This move is intended to bring relief to the motorist but surely it’s time that the UK haulier was granted the same opportunity?” said RHA Chief Executive Geoff Dunning. “In the past week alone we have seen the barrel price of oil drop US$10 dollars as a reaction to the fears about the high price slowing economic recovery. Despite this, hauliers are still paying more for fuel than their European counterparts due to the extortionate rate of fuel duty, which currently represents over half the price of a litre.

“ASDA’s price cut will inevitably start the ball rolling and I am sure that the other supermarket chains will respond,” Geoff Dunning continued. “We are calling on the Government to help us: when they reduced VAT, they increased fuel duty, so that the motorist saw no increase in price, but the haulage industry’s costs increased.

“Without a haulage industry the supermarket shelves will be empty,” concluded Geoff Dunning. “Surely this will make the Chancellor reconsider his plans to increase fuel duty by yet another 2 ppl in the autumn.”

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Source: Road Haulage Association

For more details, contact RHA Head of Communications, Kate Gibbs on Tel: +44-(0)1932-838917, Mob: +44-(0)7979-531451