RHA is calling on the new Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan and her team at DfT to take urgent action to reduce the cost of fuel through tax relief by introducing a targeted essential user rebate for hauliers.

This is the key demand at the top of a wishlist of actions RHA wants the new team at DfT to deliver on. Trevelyan replaced Grant Shapps as Transport Secretary in a Cabinet reshuffle triggered by the appointment of Liz Truss as Prime Minister last month.

RHA warned this week that the cost of living crisis will only worsen if the new Transport Secretary and her team fail to act on the key issue of fuel costs.

Rod McKenzie, RHA executive director of policy and public affairs said: “The current cost of living is driven by high fuel prices. Increased costs in the logistics sector are always passed on to the end consumer. Support in this area will help not only the providers themselves but will reduce prices on basic goods for everybody.”

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RHA is also calling on Trevelyan and her team to do more to tackle the skills crisis and HGV driver shortage in the industry, by reforming the Skills Levy, setting up a cross government task force to review all existing driver facilities, and encouraging planning authorities to grant permission for new driver facilities.

It also want the government to give greater support in transitioning to cleaner, greener vehicles. McKenzie said hauliers are willing to make the changes needed to cut the industry's emissions but added that the risk of stranded assets and the problems of low supply "significantly increases" the risk for hauliers.

He added: "We ask government to support our vital small businesses as they plan their Net Zero investments, ensuring there is a realistic timescale and regulatory certainty for the phase-in of low and zero emission vehicle technologies."

He concluded: “We have a new ministerial team in the Transport Department – led by Anne-Marie Trevelyan. We are looking forward to working with them to deliver our goals”.

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