UK lorry drivers protest over soaring fuel prices

Despite
fears of gridlock there was relatively little disruption, with police
closing a section of the eastbound A40 for the trucks to park along.

After
travelling in convoy from outside Kent, Essex and Bedfordshire, the
drivers sounded their horns as they lined their trucks, many covered
with slogans and placards, along the road.

In Wales, hauliers –
who had planned to join the London protest but decided the fuel costs
would be excessive – drove around 100 lorries to Cardiff to lobby the
Welsh assembly.

The protest organisers want a reduction in duty
for hauliers of around 20 - 25p, which they say would bring the UK into
line with fuel taxation in the rest of the EU.

"I believe that
if Gordon Brown was to pass a drowning man, he would help," Peter
Carroll of Transaction 2007 told the Marble Arch rally.

"To all
intents and purposes, our industry is a drowning man… I say to the
government that you have the lifeline. All you have to do is use that
lifeline to save a fantastic industry that does good for Britain."

Diesel and petrol prices are at a record high. On average, a litre of diesel now costs £1.25.

Drivers
at the Welsh protest expressed similar views. "I wanted to come today
because I'm only 24 and it's affecting me more than the older guys.
I've got other bills to pay, and I've to pay for my car," said Dave
Lasky from Pontypridd, Mid Glamorgan.

"Something has to be done or I will lose my job.

Lorry drivers from across the country will descend on London today to demandurgent government action on the soaring cost of fuel.

Up to 1,000 vehicles are expected to join convoys into the capital withprotesters demanding a fuel-duty rebate to protect jobs in the strugglinghaulage industry.

As the protests began this morning, routes that the drivers will take intoLondon were expected to be paralysed and threaten traffic chaos.

With average prices for a litre of unleaded petrol and diesel now about 114pand 126p respectively, it is not just hauliers who are feeling the strain –something that Gordon Brown acknowledged after Thursday’s by-election defeatin Crewe & Nantwich.