9000 angry motorists voice objections to 2p fuel duty hike on PetrolPrices.com

20th March 2009

(Aldershot, UK) Nearly 9000 angry motorists have commented on a blog article by PetrolPrices.com about the fuel tax hike due to come into force in less than a fortnight.

The blog, explaining how the 2p increase in duty is set to go ahead despite Prime Minister Gordon Brown promising to freeze fuel duty for a “full year”, has had in excess of 8900 comments and 12,000 votes in the accompanying poll at the time of writing.

95% of poll respondents say they believe the Budget, originally scheduled for March, has been postponed until April 22nd in order to push through a rise in fuel duty unchallenged on April 1st.

The number of comments 24 hours after posting the blog was around 7000 – exceeding the record set for a 24 hour period by around 1000 comments, a record which was previously set after the announcement of a 2p duty rise to offset the reduction of VAT to 15% in the November Pre-Budget Report last year.

The site registered over 80,000 unique visitors by midnight yesterday.

A selection of comments:

As a taxi driver/owner I cannot pass these extra costs onto my passengers because I am governed by local authority rules and limits so I shall have to bear the brunt. Les Crowe

I find it hard enough as it is, paying for fuel when unemployed. I have to travel to attend various interviews as the prospective employers don’t come to you. How can someone like myself be expected to get back into work when all they do is keep hiking up the petrol prices? John Oliver

Did someone say recession? 2 million unemployed? Redundancies left right and centre and barely enough cash to get by as it is… let’s sneak out the bad news while no-one’s looking, eh Gordon? Ric Dunn

As a pensioner I am already finding things hard with no interest on my savings, now petrol is going up AGAIN… It’s enough to drive you to drink… Ooops I forgot, that’s going up as well! Yvonne Goddard

You can view the full list of comments on the blog here:

http://www.petrolprices.com/blog/duty-rise-set-to-bring-fuel-tax-to-in-weeks-110.html

Brendan McLoughlin, founder of PetrolPrices.com said: “Many motorists, including myself, are more angry about this tax increase than any other, because Gordon Brown has broken his promise not to raise fuel duty. With a recession on and soaring unemployment figures we’re facing real hardship ahead. This is the time to be reducing not raising fuel duty.”

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Louise Doherty

Spokesperson

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