Cool response to tax changes
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COMMERCIAL vehicle interests have reacted to the Governments petrol tax plans with general scepticism, and the Road Haulage Association is angry because it was not consulted.
"We deplore the failure of the Secretary of State for Transport to consult the road haulage industry before reaching his decision regarding the future of vehicle excise duty," said the RHA.
Like the Freight Transport Association, it sees the plan to replace road tax with increased petrol tax over the next five years as another source of inflation.
Both stress that, although diesel-engined vehicles form the backbone of most major goods vehicle fleets, the increased running costs of company cars will have to be passed on to consumers.
Conservative transport spokesman Norman Fowler attacked the Government's claim that rural transport policies will cancel out any inc'reased costs to rural motorists.