Taxi Driver Online

Slow start to fuel price protests

15 December 2007, 11:53 GMT

Protests against the rising cost of fuel got off to a slow start as small pockets of demonstrators gathered at oil refineries across the UK.

The day of action comes after fuel prices on garage forecourts rose above the £1 per litre mark in recent weeks.

A Road Haulage Association convoy of about 45 vehicles is also creating a rolling blockade on roads in Scotland.

According to reports, the number of protesters in many parts of the country was lower than anticipated.

The government has warned unlawful blockades should not be tolerated.

Rebates

Peaceful demonstrations by a group calling itself Transaction 2007 were planned outside oil refineries at Stanlow (Ellesmere Port, Cheshire), Fawley (Southampton), Jarrow (Tyne and Wear), Purfleet (Essex), Cardiff, Immingham (North East Lincolnshire), and Grangemouth (Falkirk).

Around eight protesters gathered at Chester Services, on the M56, before moving to a protest point at the gates of the Ellesmere Port refinery, but the demonstration was later abandoned.

Fifteen fuel price protesters arrived at the giant Fawley refinery in Southampton, but at Grangemouth no demonstrators turned up.

There were also some eight protesters at Jarrow - all on foot.

Protester Rob Muir, a 42-year-old farmer from Wolsingham, Co Durham, was disappointed more people had not joined the demonstration.

He said: "We just roll over and take it in this country.

"If this was France it would be a different story. There are eight of us here and I thought there would be a lot more than that."

Transaction 2007, which says it represents hauliers, farmers and motorists, is calling for rebates on the price of fuel for hauliers, farmers and essential road-users and a reduction in the level of tax on fuel.

It also wants extra duties to be imposed on non-UK lorries that come into the country on business.

The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform said the situation was being monitored and plans were in place to "mitigate any future fuel supply disruptions".

A blockade of oil refineries in 2000 brought the country to a standstill and forced the government to cut tax on petrol.

Green solutions

A coalition of leading environmentalists says any shift in government policy should be about creating alternatives to the roads rather than making it cheaper to drive by cutting fuel taxes.

"If the government is serious about tackling climate change it must not cave in to pressure to make road travel even cheaper," said Tony Bosworth, of Friends of the Earth.

"Instead it should force car manufacturers to make more fuel-efficient vehicles and invest in getting people and freight off our roads and onto cleaner alternatives instead."

WWF-UK's Peter Lockley said making road travel more affordable for all is not in the best interest of road hauliers or the environment.

"Investment in public transport would ease congestion on UK roads, which in turn would cut fuel use and carbon dioxide emissions for hauliers," he said.

Tax freeze

Saturday's convoy protest in Scotland is being organised by the Scottish branch of the Road Haulage Association (RHA).

The RHA representing hauliers in the rest of the UK stresses that it is not connected to the Transaction 2007 refinery protests.

Lorry drivers are calling for the government to introduce a fuel price regulator, which would freeze fuel duty while the price of oil remains volatile, and are unhappy about October's 2p increase in fuel duty.

Philip Flanders, of the Road Haulage Association in Scotland, said the convoy set out from Hamilton Services at 1000 GMT, moving eastwards towards Stirling along the M74, the M8, then M9.

The trucks will pass the Ineos plant at Grangemouth before joining the A80 and heading south.

Duty rises over the last decade add up to 25% - less than the rate of inflation. But oil prices have gone up 270% in the same period.

Source: BBC News

Fuel Protests Run Out Of Gas

December 15, 2007, 12:30GMT

Fuel protests have got off to a slow start with only a handful of demonstrators making their presence felt.

Protesters, made up of hauliers, farmers and motorists, said gathered outside several refineries.

They promised that the protests would be peaceful.

It was blockades by the Transaction 2000 group that led to widespread fuel shortages and long queues for petrol in autumn 2000.

Under the umbrella of the newly-constituted Transaction 2007 group, the demonstrations are taking place at refineries in Stanlow in Cheshire, Fawley in Southampton, Jarrow in South Tyneside, Cardiff in south Wales, Purfleet in Essex, and Immingham in Lincolnshire.

But the protests appeared to have garnered little support.

Around eight protesters gathered at the gates of the Ellesmere refinery accompanied by Cheshire police before making their way home.

And reporters outnumbered protesters at Jarrow's Shell depot.

Around 25 fuel price protesters turned out at the giant Fawley refinery in Southampton.

"We face the prospect of another 2p being added in the new year. It's driving the farming and haulage industries to the wall."

David Handley, Chairman of Farmers for Action, said: "This fuel issue has got to be addressed and especially the fuel taxation part of it.

"The Government seems to be totally avoiding having a discussion about it.

"We want to sit down and see what the game is - what are they going to do about the current tax? It's become a very serious situation again."

Source: Sky News

At the end of the day hauliers pass anything extra down the line, bus companies too but taxi drivers are stuck with whatever their current tarrif is.

At least PH have a choice of upping the fare, but most are sh** scared of doing so.