R.H.A., T.R.T.A. Attack Proposals
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The Road Haulage Association " strongly protested" against the increase in licence duties for commercial vehicles. which, it said, "is a further heavy imposition on road transport. It will inevitably add to the costs of trade and industry, and will affect the price of ever' commodity.
"Already road users pay something like £650m. a year in special taxation. four times as much as the Government spends on the roads. The revenue from this taxation is rising rapidly, and a further £25m. will be added by the Chancellor's new and ill-judged proposal.
"The 100,000 vehicles operated by the. 17,000 members of the R.H.A. are mainly of the heavy type, upon which the new imposition will chiefly fall."
Mr. H. R. Featherstone, National Secretary Traders' Road Transport Association, said: "The proposed extra taxation on commercial vehicles is appalling. There are nearly 500.000 firms operating a total of more than a million commercial vehicles under a e licence. These firms are engaged in every possible kind of trade and industry for home and export markets and their commercial vehicles are as essential to them as any piece of factory machinery.
"The transport of 'goods is inevitably bound up with the costs of production, and these new burdens must add to the cost of living as well as the cost of exports. It is about time that this country awakened to the fact that commercial road transport is riot a luxury but a vital necessity to our daily existence."