Hauliers say sky-high cost of fuel puts jobs at risk

MOTORING organisations and politicians stepped up their fight against fuel price rises yesterday as a survey of filling stations across Scotland highlighted the huge increase in the cost of petrol and diesel over the last year.

Yesterday the clamour against the UK government's plans to increase fuel duty by 1p per litre above inflation in April grew when the two major trade associations representing the road freight industry joined forces to campaign for fairer prices.

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) and the Road Haulage Association (RHA), which together represent 20,000 companies across the UK, announced that they will fight with the FairFuelUK Campaign.

The campaign led by Peter Carroll, the activist who masterminded Joanna Lumley's Gurkha Justice Campaign, is calling on the government to stabilise fuel prices and scrap the April increase.

Yesterday the Road Haulage Association warned that the rise put hundreds of Scottish jobs at stake.

"In the haulage industry, you are probably looking at hundreds of jobs and there are already businesses going under," said Phil Flanders, RHA director for Scotland.

"The government has got to take a big share of the blame for this. Somebody has got to pull the finger out at Westminster and look at a fuel stabiliser. "I think everybody should be campaigning against this."

A survey of Scottish petrol stations carried out by The Scotsman confirmed the massive increases in fuel prices across the country.

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Over the past year a litre of unleaded petrol has increased by more than 20p in most parts of Scotland, while diesel has seen a similar increase.

The survey also showed that petrol costs vary across the country, with remote rural areas suffering from higher fuel prices than the cities. For example, motorists can pay 139p for a litre of petrol in the far north of Scotland at Durness, while forking out 125p in Edinburgh.

April will see the third fuel duty increase since the coalition took over from Labour. At 1p above inflation, it is expected to add at least another 3p to the price of litre of petrol.

First Minister Alex Salmond yesterday said that the case for a fuel duty regulator was "unanswerable" and called for duty to be lowered immediately. He was reacting to reports that the Treasury would be handed an extra 2 billion in North Sea oil revenues as a result of high oil prices.The North Sea oil tax take is expected to be 1.95bn above the 9.8bn the Treasury had forecast this year.

Mr Salmond said: "Downing Street is clearly buckling under pressure, but Scotland's families and businesses need action to bring pump prices down now There is no reason for delay - duty should be lowered now."

The First Minister called on the Chancellor George Osborne to implement a "Fair Fuel Stabiliser", which the government has so far resisted introducing.

The SNP is seeking a Holyrood debate in an attempt to put pressure on the government and persuade it to meet its pledge on fuel. SNP chief whip Brian Adam MSP has tabled a Scottish Parliament motion on the costs of fuel, seeking a debate on the issue.

The Prime Minister yesterday hinted that there may be help for beleaguered motorists, but not until the next Budget.

David Cameron said: "We have to look at this idea, that when the oil price goes up, and the price at the pumps goes up, the Treasury gets some extra money.We should share some of that benefit with the hard-pressed motorist who is filling up his car.

"We are looking at that and there is a Budget in March."