SME Business News

Hundreds of lorry drivers, many self employed or small business owners, have descended on London’s Marble Arch today, for a rally to protest at rising fuel costs that are driving many out of business.

In conjunction with Transaction 2007, the protesters intend delivering a petition to Prime Minister Gordon Brown, calling for the introduction of an ‘essential  user rebate’ which would allow hauliers to claim back 20p to 25p per litre on their fuel costs.

Hauliers are concerned that they are often fighting for business in the UK against European competition, where fuel is cheaper and point out that the UK exchequer is also losing out on revenue from foreign drivers.

Organiser Peter Carroll said: “If the government does not help us hundreds and hundreds of UK family firms will go to the wall and that work will be done by continental hauliers who pay nothing to the UK exchequer.”