Taxi Driver Online

January 26, 2008 Saturday

Fuel tax plan will harm firms'

Knutsford Guardian

BUSINESSES in Knutsford are calling on the Chancellor to scrap a planned rise in fuel tax.

They fear the increase of 2p a litre in April will hit customers and could force some courier firms out of business.

"If I were him I'd change my mind," said Tracy Hoather, managing director of Knutsford-based courier firm Same Day.

"It's an unfair, punishing fuel tax."

Since April last year Same Day's fuel costs have risen by £2,000 a month.

Mrs Hoather said the company used about 27,500 litres of fuel a month.

"If we used the same amount of fuel this month as we did in January last year, it would cost us £4084.64 more," she said. A further rise in fuel tax will add another £500 to the monthly bill.

This week she suspected all companies would have to start charging their customers more.

"I can't absorb the costs anymore," she said. "And it would be suicidal for anyone to try."

She added: "The only way we can win is if we all put our rates up at the same time.

"That would send a clear message to the Chancellor. He won't do anything until it starts affecting his economy."

Taxi driver Albert Wrench, who runs 24/7, said the extra cost could force some drivers out of business. "The council sets the fares, so if fuel goes up by 50p there's nothing we can do about it," he said.

"People will drop out of the trade if it's not worth doing."

He said his profits had already been hit by people tightening their purse strings due to a rise in the cost of living.

"I have noticed there are fewer people going out," he said. "We are quieter than we were last year."

He said the Government was exploiting drivers.

"The Government are laughing all the way to the bank," he said.

"They push people and push people but they never break. It's the British way."

Shadow Chancellor and Tatton MP George Osborne said Chancellor Alistair Darling should think twice before increasing the cost of fuel.

"He should be aware that for many people it's not just the rising cost of fuel," he said. "Food prices and energy bills have gone up too."

The average price of a litre of unleaded is now over 104p.

This week Mr Osborne said haulage firms would not be the only ones affected.

"The trouble is their costs are passed on to everyone. When we buy food in the supermarket we will have to pay extra for the lorries to get it there."

Mr Osborne said the Chancellor could delay the tax rise as had been done in previous years.

Are you suffering? Please leave your comments below.
_______________________

Let's not have another e-mail circular that gets us nowhere.

All we need to do is to tell the people who want our votes that we will not vote for them next time if fuel keeps going up.

And we should also have a special tax dividend against the profiteering oil companies.

But I bet we don't.

_________________
IDFIMH