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Protesters lobby Chancellor over fuel duty hike

09 February 2011 02:19 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Campaigners led by a former "Top Gear" presenter gathered in Whitehall on Tuesday to protest against rising petrol prices, APA reports quoting news.yahoo.com website.
Demonstrators called on Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne to abandon a planned April fuel duty increase of 1p a litre and bring in measures to reduce and stabilise the cost of fuel.
TV presenter Quentin Willson -- who co-hosted the BBC motoring programme "Top Gear" for more than a decade -- headed the delegation from the FairFuelUK campaign.
The group protested outside the Treasury where they handed over a letter addressed to the Chancellor before delivering individually addressed letters to 600 MPs urging them to act.
Osborne has said that he is considering the issue of the planned April rise, amid mounting public anger which has been compounded by recent rises in rail fares.
Campaign organiser Peter Carroll said: "The whole nation has to get behind this campaign to help boost the economy, which is being hurt by high fuel prices.
"Some MPs are supporting us and are saying that the fuel problem has now become a crisis. Scrapping the planned April fuel duty rise is a start, but we need a long-term solution."
The Road Haulage Association (RHA), the Freight Transport Association (FTA), the Fuel Card Company and the RAC are among the groups backing The FairFuelUK campaign.
RAC motoring strategist Adrian Tink said rising petrol prices were taking their toll on Britain’s 34 million drivers.
"Up and down the country motorists are being greeted with record fuel prices, virtually on a daily basis," he said.
"The Chancellor needs to show he understands the pain that UK drivers are feeling at the pumps -- and that means scrapping the April fuel duty rise as a tangible statement of intent."