00:01:57
ITN
Angry truckers descend on London
Angry truckers descend on London
Angry truckers have driven their lorries into London in a major protest aimed at getting the Government to cut the price of fuel.Vehicles were parked along a specially closed section of the A40 Westway in west London as the hauliers spoke of their fears for the industry as long as fuel costs remained at record highs.Later, small convoys were led by police through central London, while protesters on foot lobbied Parliament.One of the first to arrive in the capital was 58-year old Robin Edmunds from Devizes, Wiltshire.A haulier for 30 years, Mr Edmunds, who has a fleet of seven lorries, said: "I have never seen times as bad as this."The Government has got to cut the fuel duty. All this is down to Gordon Brown, and he is pulling Alistair Darling's strings."Travelling from Wiltshire with Mr Edmunds was his son, Michael, 30, who also runs his own business.He said: "I'm not very optimistic of any change but, if we keep knocking on the door, the Government will hopefully listen."A lot of people can't afford to take the time off work to come up for this protest."Business life for us at the moment is hard - very hard. It's got to the stage where I'm wondering whether it's all worth carrying on. I'm only a small haulier. We are simply getting swallowed up."The protest is the latest in a series of demonstrations by lorry drivers as petrol and diesel prices at the pumps continue to soar.For the first time in these protests, the freight company drivers were joined by members of the Road Haulage Association (RHA).RHA national chairman Andy Boyle said: "I'm absolutely delighted that so many sections of the UK transport industry have united in such a positive way. If ever there was positive proof that ours is an industry in crisis, then this surely must be it."The harsh reality is that the price of fuel is now forcing many hauliers out of business. For many, today will represent a last-ditch attempt at making their voice heard."Peter Carroll, a spokesman for Transaction, a haulage pressure group, said: "Our industry is being driven out of business. Continental hauliers are able to run in the UK using cheaper fuel from abroad. The Government needs to realise that the surge in oil prices has changed the world."It is madness to insist on charging the highest level of fuel duty in the EU on top of a world price that has rocketed. If nothing is done, thousands of UK hauliers will go bust."
ITN | July 2, 2008
