Stop this silly dancing
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I was speaking to an owner-operator this week about what he liked, and didn’t like, about Commercial Motor. I’ll spare his blushes and not name him, but he said that CM helps his business by “giving me a feel for what is happening with the fuel price”.
Well I’m afraid to say that only one thing is happening with the fuel price – it is going north, again. We’ve not quite technically broken any records yet, but the Road Haulage Association says the price of bulk diesel is just 0.01% off last April’s all-time high of 115.43ppl. That’s an extra shake of the fuel hose as far as we’re concerned. To put things in context, the average price of bulk diesel in February 2010 was about 91ppl, which equates to a 9% rise in your total operating costs in the past two years.
One again, the industry finds itself in a position where it is having to remind MPs of the punitive nature of fuel duty. It’s an annual dance between lobbyists and politicians in the run up to the Budget and, frankly, it’s one dance that has outstayed its welcome. Jobs, livelihoods and family businesses are counting on a positive outcome and cannot be left hanging any longer.
That is why we urge you to support the FairFuelUK National Fair Fuel Day on 7 March. There is a reason why we said FFUK founder Peter Carroll was the most influential person in the industry last year – politicians listen to him and he gets results. But he needs your support to get fuel duty cut again. Go to www.fairfueluk.com/ nationalfairfuelday and clear your diary for 7 March. It could stop a new record fuel price.
Christopher Walton