Truckers meet the taxman

Date: Thursday, February 14, 2008

Representatives from the Road Haulage Association (RHA) and the Freight Transport Association (FTA) have met with Chancellor Alistair Darling to discuss plans to further raise fuel duty from 1 April. The meeting, which took place on Monday, was described by RHA chief executive Roger King as being “courteous”.

“We had a very open conversation and no one pulled any punches,” said King. According to the RHA, proposed increases of 2p/litre would cost the average trucker an extra £1,200 per annum.

The AA is in support of the RHA's request, with president Edmund King saying: “The Chancellor has already bagged an unexpected windfall of more than £4 billion from motorists and the oil industry in the last twelve months and therefore even if he scraps the threatened 2p/litre increase he would still be £3 billion better off.”

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