More than 30,000 drivers have emailed Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Chancellor John Healey in just 24 hours, demanding urgent action on fuel costs ahead of the Budget on October 28. The pressure group FairFuelUK urged its supporters to contact the Government as petrol and diesel costs spiral due to conflict in the Middle East.
Pensioners and rural communities hit hard
Among the correspondences, one pensioner wrote: "I'm a pensioner living in a very rural part of Wales. I need my car for hospital appointments. The nearest bus stop is three miles away." Another said: "Bus services in my area are unreliable and infrequent. Car ownership is essential for getting to other towns for shopping and work."
A different supporter wrote: "As a self-employed driving instructor, these increases are crippling for my small business." Another person added: "We live in a rural village with no public transportation at all! We rely entirely on our car to get to shops, the pharmacy, doctors, and hospitals! Without our car, we would be marooned. We're in our late 70s and worry about not being able to travel."
Road infrastructure 'a national disgrace'
Also included in the emails was a motorist saying: "Aside from the obviously unfair taxation on fuel, alongside high road-fund taxation and inflated insurance costs, I strongly believe that the neglect of road infrastructure is a national and international disgrace! Living in East Sussex, where visitors from the continent first encounter these third-world conditions, I am utterly embarrassed."
Howard Cox, Founder of FairFuelUK, said: "More than 30,000 people have emailed the Prime Minister and Chancellor within just 24 hours because drivers have had enough. They are tired of being treated as cash cows while politicians ignore the reality that affordable road transport is essential to every family, every business and every community in Britain."
Call for fuel duty cut and market transparency
Mr Cox added: "This isn't just about motorists. Every product on every supermarket shelf, every tradesperson, every delivery, every small business and every worker depends on affordable transport. Ministers constantly talk about growth. Cheaper fuel is one of the fastest and most effective ways to lower costs, tackle inflation, and stimulate economic activity. Drivers' message couldn't be clearer. Cut Fuel Duty, introduce real fuel market transparency, and start treating Britain's motorists as part of the solution, not the problem."
FairFuelUK supporters are calling on the Prime Minister and Chancellor to cut Fuel Duty, commit to a permanent Fuel Duty freeze, introduce a genuine PumpWatch regulator with legal powers to investigate and prevent excessive fuel pricing, match the action taken by more than 40 countries that have intervened to reduce fuel costs, stop treating drivers as an endless source of tax revenue, and recognise affordable mobility as a driver of economic growth, lower inflation and stronger communities. They also call for a meeting with Mr Cox to discuss his independently developed 20-Year Transport Strategy, produced with input from more than 80,000 drivers and transport stakeholders.
