Public joins industry in Fair Fuel campaign
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laura.hailstonefarbi.co.uk THE GOVERNMENT is under pressure to abolish the April fuel duty rise, along with future rises, as the public joins the fight for a fair deal on fuel.
The FairFuelUK campaign petition, launched by Peter Carroll last week (CM13 January), has attracted more than 8,300 signatures in just over eight days: 70% of signatories from the public and 30% from the industry.
"The support from the public shows how much the crippling cost of fuel is hurting everyone and it gives us a unique opportunity to put pressure on the government as it will always react more to the public than the haulage industry," says Carroll.
However, he stresses that it is vital for the road transport industry to get behind the campaign. "We are the sixth largest employer in the UK, so if every operator encourages its staff and their families to sign the petition, we should get thousands of signatures for me to present to Whitehall."
The industry's leading trade associations the Road Haulage Association (RHA) and the Freight Transport Association (FTA) are backing the campaign in every way they can.
James Hookham, MD of policy and communications at the FTA, says: "It's important that Peter has the means to deliver the aims of the campaign, so we are supporting the campaign financially as well as through a programme of communication." Unlike previous lobbying over the issue of fuel, Hookham says this campaign isn't about the technicalities of a fuel duty stabiliser. "This is a much more simple campaign, designed to get the backing of the public. We want to keep pressing home the notion that raising fuel duty further is a bad idea. The April rise must be scrapped," says Hookham.
Kate Gibbs, head of communications at the RHA, which is also backing the campaign financially, agrees. "We're now seeing the general public sharing our pain; up until now we have been a lone voice over the issue of fuel duty.
"The time for consultation and planning has passed. If we're to have a future as a viable industry, something needs to happen now because a lot of haulage companies won't be here tomorrow if duty keeps rising."
• Support the campaign: go to www. fairfuelukcom. Pick up next week's CMand get a free campaign sticker.