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Britain’s truckers clearly aren’t about to give up in their war on diesel prices; a thousand lorry drivers will park up on the A40 westway in London today to stage yet another protest over the rising cost of fuel.
Under police escort, a series of convoys of 10 to 30 lorries will move through the city, while another group will proceed on foot to picket outside parliament.
Truckers are demanding a 20-25p-per-litre rebate on fuel duty. With the price of diesel currently at £1.30 per litre, haulage firms are facing fuel bills of up to £1000 a week for a single articulated lorry.
It’s the second time since May that truckers have taken action; however, this time the drivers are being backed by the Road Haulage Association (RHA), lobby group TransAction and the Transport Association.
Andy Boyle, chairman of the RHA, said, “If ever there was positive proof that ours is an industry in crisis then this surely must be it. The harsh reality is that the price of fuel is now forcing many hauliers out of business.
“For many, Wednesday will represent a last-ditch attempt at making their voice heard. It is therefore absolutely vital that the government not only listens to us but takes urgent action.”
Peter Carroll, spokesman for TransAction said, "Our industry is being driven out of business. Continental hauliers are able to run in the UK using cheaper fuel from abroad. If nothing is done then thousands of UK hauliers will go bust”.
Ian Tonkin
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