Budget Reaction: Fuel Duty Freeze - Another Road Haulage Association Success for Members

LONDON, March 16 -- The Road Haulage Association welcomes the announcement made today by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to freeze excise duty on diesel fuel.

RHA Chief Executive Roger King, said: "We are of course delighted that our lobbying efforts on behalf of UK hauliers have resulted in this freeze. "However, we cannot rest on our laurels. We will now have to step up our efforts to persuade the Chancellor that if fuel duty is increased by 1.22 pence per litre on 1 September, we will be back to square one. This simply cannot be allowed to happen! The current high levels of fuel duty literally represent make or break for many UK road hauliers.

"What we are desperate to see is UK levels of fuel duty brought into line with our European counterparts. We are determined to achieve a level playing field for UK hauliers. This should be ours by right - it should not be an uphill struggle."

The Road Haulage Association - supporting the industry on which the UK depends.

Contact Kate Gibbs, RHA Communications Manager on : Tel: +44-(0)1932-838917, Mob: +44-(0)7979-531451, Fax: +44-(0)1932-858916