Budget 09 - “A Double Hammer Blow to Hauliers” Says Road Haulage Association

LONDON - There may be good news for some in today’s Budget but hauliers face a severe double hammer blow as a direct result of yet another tax hike - 2 pence per litre next September, followed by a revised fuel duty escalator effective next March of inflation plus half a pence per litre.

“This will further damage the UK haulage industry and the competitiveness of UK industry and it will lead to further increases in the cost of everything we buy, including food and other essentials.

“Many of Britain’s road hauliers face being priced off the road by foreign competition benefitting from the new open market for haulage but fuelled with diesel hugely cheaper than can be bought in the UK,” said RHA Chief Executive Roger King.

“We cannot understand why the Chancellor has turned a deaf ear to our industry’s pleas to keep our fuel costs within manageable levels so that we can compete with foreign hauliers. How much longer will foreign trucks (which the Government says are eight times more likely to involved in a fatal or serious accident), be allowed to use our roads without contributing a penny piece to their upkeep whilst British hauliers are being progressively crucified in the interests of bolstering this Government’s beleaguered finances?

“Government purports to want a competitive UK economy but then adds to its costs by increasing tax on transport, an absolutely essential part of our wealth-generating infrastructure. With this month’s fuel duty increase of 1.84 pence, the 2 pence increase last December and now another 2 pence expected in September, duty will have increased by more than 11 per cent in just nine months. No other business faces this challenge.

“What a contrast between the announcement of support for a car and van scrappage scheme which may well assist in the growth of imported cars, and a tax hike for British hauliers delivering food, raw materials and exports on behalf of the UK. We have no problems with the scrappage scheme but we don’t see why British hauliers should contribute to its support.

“If the Government really thought carefully, it could have devised a rebate scheme for UK haulage as we have requested for the last 10 years. But these pleas have clearly fallen on deaf ears.”

Road Haulage Association - more than you think

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