Fuel tax angers operators
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• Both the Road Haulage Association and the Freight Transport Association reacted angrily to the Budget proposal to increase the fuel tax. The following statement was issued on Wednesday by the R HA: "At a time when so many other road transport costs are increasing it is particularly damaging to the whole of trade and industry that the Chancellor should see fit to place yet another burden on road transport operators who carry 80 per cent of the country's traffic, including exports. "The 18,000 members of the RHA, with a total lorry fleet of 10 times that number, have on option but to pass the new increase on to their customers as soon as possible. In many cases it will mean an increase of 1 per cent or more in costs and there is no way in which operators can continue to absorb this kind of imposition.
"The Chancellor must be aware that he is forcing up the cost of transport at a time when increases in operating costs of many other kinds have already amounted to well over 10 per cent since the budget a year ago which put 4d a gallon on the fuel tax and 50 per cent on vehicle licence duties.
"Subsequently wage increases, a further fuel tax last November, the plating and testing scheme and the Transport Act have all involved operators in considerable extra expense".
It was sheer lunacy yet again to raise trade and industry transport costs, commented the Freight Transport Association. At the very least diesel fuel should have been exempted from this futher impost or a rebate system introduced for commercial transport. The increase would have to be borne by both the housewife and the foreign buyer.