LONDON, June 27 /PRNewswire/ -- On Wednesday 2 July 2008, members of the Road Haulage Association, the lobby group TransAction 2007 and the Transport Association will take the fuel issue to the heart of the Nation's capital to ensure that soaring fuel prices and the highest levels of fuel duty in Europe are top of the political agenda. And while convoy of Heavy Goods Vehicles makes its way from the M40 Westway south to Westminster, a large foot lobby will be taking the message to the Houses of Parliament.

"This will be one of the biggest ever lobbies of Parliament by UK transport operators," said TransAction spokesman Peter Carroll. "Six hundred and forty-five MPs have received personal requests for a meeting from hauliers (in their constituencies) who are desperate to highlight the problems they are now facing. This industry is so efficient that it often goes unnoticed but 2nd July will be the day when it will make its voice well and truly heard. UK hauliers are desperate to see action taken against the almost daily increases in the price of fuel. By the time we leave London on the afternoon of the 2nd, Members of Parliament will be left in no doubt as to the intolerable knock-on effects being suffered by a vast number of their constituents."

However, lobbyists will also be keen to highlight the workable solutions that will bring both short term relief and a long term solution to the problems now being faced.

"The Fuel Duty Regulator, as endorsed by the Scottish National Party (and to be taken to the report stage of the Finance Bill on 1/2 July) is an effective, workable solution," said RHA Chairman Andy Boyle. "The Regulator would result in an automatic freeze on fuel duty increases if world oil prices rose above levels forecast by the Chancellor with a corresponding reduction in fuel duty to match the extra revenue from VAT from higher pump prices. In the longer term, stability and parity with Europe would be achieved by the implementation of an Essential User Rebate in order to reduce fuel duty to the level elsewhere in the EU."

"We will be presenting politicians with workable solutions that would go a long way to helping an industry under threat," said Transport Association Chairman Stephen Taylor. "It is therefore essential that the Chancellor sees sense and defers any increase on fuel duty in October. In addition, we need an urgent review and action to reduce the difference in cost between petrol and diesel. Every extra penny on the price of a litre equates to an extra GBP600 per year per vehicle. We need urgent help to sustain our businesses, yet more and more haulage operators are going to the wall because we now have a situation that is UN-sustainable."

"Britain's hauliers are going through an unprecedented financial crisis thanks to the huge increase in fuel prices and customers for haulage are finding it increasingly difficult to meet ever-rising fuel surcharges," concluded RHA Chief Executive Roger King. "Additional haulage costs such as wages, vehicles etc are almost impossible to pass on. Government can and must help. Like the airline industry we are not immune to the effect of price rises on our raw material; the difference is that we cannot get customers to pay the extra before the journey. The UK government cannot stand alone and refuse to consider help. That is why we will be in London on Wednesday."

For further details contact: Kate Gibbs, Road Haulage Association, +44(0)7979-531451, Peter Carroll, TransAction, +44(0)7866-800755, Sharon Knight, TransAction, +44(0)7887-520474, Peter Knight, TransAction, +44(0)7860-532173, Peter Acton, Transport Association, +44(0)7773-352137