Another 7id. a. Gallon on Fuel
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rOMMERCIAL-VEHICLE. operas—'tors -have been singled out for another savage attack by the Chancellor of the 'Exchequer. The increase a 74.d. per gallon in the tax on petrol and oil fuel, as from last Tuesday, will cause another flood of applications for _higher fares and haulage rates. The national rates committee of the Road HaulageAssociation met yesterday -to consider the effect of the new fuel duty and other costs..
In three successive Budgets, the tax on fuel has been raised by a total of is. 9d. a gallon.
Mr. R. A. Butler, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Said in the House of Commons, an Tuesday, that the additional fuel tax would yield a sum of £.66m. a year. • The Road Haulage Association said on Tuesday that the running costs of the 120,000 vehicles operated by the 40,000 free-enterprime hauliers would be raised by about £5m. a year. The costs of individual operators would be increased by an average of 3* per cent., or about Id. per mile.
Cost Figures S.T.R., "The Commercial Motor" costs expert, writes: The effects of the new tax on fuel, as expressed as percentage " increases, are as follows : A 25-cwt. van suffers an increase of 2.65 per cent. if it runs only 200 miles per week, but the figure rises to 3.19 per cent. at 300 miles per week and to 3.25 per cent. at 400 miles per week.
Costs for a 6-ton petrol-engined vehicle running 200 miles per week are raised by 3.38 per cent., as compared with 2.02 per cent. for a 6-ton oiler. At 400 miles per week, the corresponding figures are 4.8 per cent. and 2.94 per cent, and at 600 miles per week. 5.7 per cent. and 3.5 per cent.
An 8-ton oiler, with percentage figures of 3.46 at 400 miles a week, 4.05 at 600 miles and 4A3 at 800 miles, is not so hard hit as the petrol-engined 6-tonner.
In the case of a petrol-engined 32seal coach, the percentage increases are 4.28 for 400 miles a week, 5.03 for 600 miles and 5.55 for 800 miles.
• Figures for a 56-seat oil-engined bus, assuming two crews per week, are 2.93 per cent. for 600 miles a week, 3.38 per cent. for 800 miles and 3.75
• per cent. for 1,000 miles.
[Editorial comment will be published in next week's issue.] MORE INTEGRATION?
A PPLICATION.has been made by Highland Omnibuses, Ltd., Inverness, for permission to run 18 stage and express-carriage services and three excursions and tours in the Inverness area, hitherto operated by W. Alexander • and Sons, Ltd., Aberdeen. Highland Omnibuses, Ltd.. was formerly Highland Transport Co., Ltd. Roth'. the Highland and Alexander concerns are State-owned.