FTA Wants Fuel Duty Reduction

It was good news for the haulage and transport sectors when Chancellor George Osborne announced a freeze in the fuel duty for 2014. Osborne made his original pledge during an address to the Conservative party conference last autumn. Moreover, while the announcement was certainly welcome, one organisation is now calling on Osborne to find a way to reduce the fuel duty rather than just holding it flat.

According to Logistics Manager, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) is now requesting that the Chancellor see what he can do about reducing the duty by three pence per litre. They are hoping he will give their proposal serious consideration in the weeks leading up to his budget statement set to be delivered on March 19. The FTA believes reducing the duty will stimulate the economy, create more jobs, and encourage more commerce from Conwy to Birmingham to Newcastle.

The FTA’s James Hookham insists that fuel prices are still too high, even with the fuel duty freeze for 2014. Things will only be made worse if that freeze is allowed to expire next year. Hookham believes a reduction in the duty is necessary if the haulage and transport sectors are to remain competitive.

He went on to say that any loss of revenue as a result of a reduction would be more than paid for by greater economic activity. What’s more, Hookham also maintains a renewed interest in biofuels could further reduce dependence on diesel fuel if companies had a financial incentive – by way of a fuel duty reduction – for investing in them. Any increase in biofuel use would obviously be good for environment.

We will have to see whether the FTA’s proposal goes anywhere or not. In the meantime, the HGV Training Centre will continue to offer HGV training in Conwy and more than 45 locations throughout the UK.

Earn Your License

You can earn your HGV licence with us a lot sooner than you think. Once you begin your practical skills training, it’s just a matter of weeks before you are ready for your final test. How do we accomplish our training so quickly? By utilising a fast-paced and concentrated approach that enables you to learn quickly and recall what you need to know at testing time.

In order to begin practical skills training you will need to do a couple of other things first:

• pass a routine medical exam
• apply for a provisional entitlement
• take and pass the HGV theory test.

We can help you with these three steps if you require, including enrolling you in a class to prepare you for the theory test. The test is a 100 question multiple-choice exam designed to measure your knowledge of general road safety and hazard prevention. Just so you know, 92% of our students pass the first time.

If you would like to know more about HGV training in Conwy or any of our other locations, do not hesitate to contact us. We would be more than happy to answer all of your questions.

Sources:

Logistics Manager – http://www.logisticsmanager.com/Articles/22081/Cut+fuel+duty+by+3p%2c+urges+FTA.html