The Road Haulage Assdociation (RHA) has congratulated the new Chancellor on his first Autumn Statement, and is pleased that he has recognised the vital role that UK haulage operators play in moving the nation’s economy.
Today’s news that an extra £1.3 billion is to be spent on improving Britain’s road network will come as good news to all road users but in particular to the many road hauliers that are responsible for the movement of 85% of goods each year.
“Roads are the haulier’s place of work,” said RHA chief executive Richard Burnett. “Any measures to make their journey easier, more efficient and certainly more cost effective will contribute greatly to the movement of the UK economy and help ease the cost of congestion. This costs billions of pounds each year to millions of householders across the UK.
“The news that Insurance Premium Tax is to rise by 2% comes as a disappointment – a disappointment that will, to an extent, be offset by the news that fuel duty, held at 57.95ppl is to be frozen for the seventh year in a row.
“Obviously a fuel duty cut would have made a real difference to our members’ operating costs but a further fuel duty freeze? We’ll happily take that,” Richard Burnett concluded.”