‘Road haulage is a key service industry to the UK economy and relies almost entirely on diesel, yet diesel duty remains by far the highest in the EU,’ Burnett said. ‘If we are to gain a competitive edge over our European counterparts we have to see a 3ppl fuel duty cut.’
As one of the founder members of the FairFuelUK campaign alliance, the Road Haulage Association welcomes the launch of the FFUK fuel manifesto.
‘FairFuelUK has done an excellent job in stopping the increase in fuel duty,’ Burnett continued. ‘However, the time has now come to see a fuel duty cut. Lower fuel duty is good for jobs and for growth – that was shown by the NIESR report that was commissioned by the RHA.
‘British hauliers pay £12,000 a year or more duty per truck than most of their continental competitors. That damages the competitiveness of UK businesses and pushes up prices in the shops and for hauliers, it means increased pressure on cash-flow and makes it more difficult to fund investment.
‘Lower duty rates are not just a vote winner but a winner for investment, growth and jobs.’