Government urged to scrap plans for fuel duty increase

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has urged chancellor Alistair Darling to scrap his proposed levy of 2p per litre in increased fuel duty, due to come into practice on the April 1st.

The FTA has stressed the negative impact on industry such an increase will bring about, with the extra cost being inevitably passed onto customers.

In a formal submission in advance of the Budget, the FTA called for a scrapping of the 2p per litre fuel duty, as well as raising the possibility of decoupling duty on fuel used in heavy lorries from that of other road users.

At the current time, the government collects £41 billion in tax each year from all road users, spending £8.3 billion on national and local road networks. UK diesel duty is double that of the rest of Europe, 18 per cent higher than in France.