FUEL PRICE STABILISER OR ROAD-USER CHARGE?
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We asked Trucking Britain respondents which of the new government's key possible transport plans should be treated as a priority: the fuel price stabiliser or the road-user charge. The result is a not-unexpected landslide in favour of the stabiliser: 78% voted for it over the charge.
Respondents highlighted a number of reasons for their preference; let's cut straight to the verbatims: • "A stabiliser would be simpler to operate without the expensive infrastructure a roaduser charge would incur."
• "It would alleviate the uncertainty of fuel contract pricing."
• "[The stabiliser] is fair to everyone and gives us the confidence to invest in new equipment and move forward."
• "Fuel accounts for approximately 34% of my operating costs; if this was more stable or even fixed, I could at least budget for any eventualities."
• 'A more stable fuel price would help when setting prices."
• "We have seen variations of over 10% in the price of fuel in the last six months, and although we have a fuel escalator, we are unable to apply it to all accounts. The first rule of business is 'know your costs' and nobody in road haulage does!"
We liked this forthright statement: "Because it is about time the government started giving a shit." Blunt, but true!
Another respondent highlighted the widespread, but rarely articulated, concern that if costs are lowered, operators will just cut their rates: "There is no point in any kind of fuel rebatelstabiliser when the industry persists in cutting the very rates it criticises for making the job as a whole unprofitable."
Turning briefly to the road-user charge, one respondent noted: "Charging foreign vehicles to use our roads would mean an increase in the government's income."
Another respondent highlighted the need for any charge to be made fairly: "Hopefully the government would balance the introduction of a road-user charge] against the road-fund licence, so vehicles doing fewer miles per annum would not pay as much as high-mileage vehicles."