Hauliers and taxi drivers warn on fuel costs

The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) said yesterday it is considering a French-style blockade of Irish ports next month to force the Government to act on rising fuel costs.

The move came as the National Taxi Drivers Union (NTDU) also reacted to the rising oil costs by seeking permission to add a 50 cent fuel surcharge to fares.

The IRHA yesterday called for the Government to introduce a 14 cent rebate on each litre of diesel to give some relief to hauliers. Spokesman Jimmy Quinn said truckers did not want to go on strike, but the Government won't pay any attention until "you try a few guerrilla tactics".

Hauliers claim that up to €370 of the cost of 1,000 litres of diesel currently goes to the Government on VAT and duty.

"We're just asking them to take a little less from us and help us meet the increasing cost of putting diesel in our tanks," said Mr Quinn.

The NTDU has written to every local authority in the Republic for permission to levy the fuel surcharge. A spokesman said yesterday it hoped local authorities will consider a request for taxi fare increases when they meet in the first week of September. If approved, the increase could be in place by the middle of next month.

Tommy Gorman said that fuel costs were only exacerbating the problem caused for city taxi drivers by the shortage of ranks in the wake of deregulation.

In Dublin, the Luas lines had done away with four taxi ranks, while the "biggest rank in the country" - in front of the Gresham Hotel on O'Connell Street - had been lost to the street's redevelopment plan.

More drivers than ever were "cruising" for fares, and with climbing petrol prices, it was costing between €20 and €25 a day extra, he said.

The proposed surcharge was a "very modest" response, which could be added - like luggage charges - without recalibrating meters. It could also be removed again if prices fell.

The threat from truck drivers and the request for taxi fare increases came as an AA survey showed that the price of petrol has risen by an average 3.2 cent in the past four weeks.

The mid-monthly survey revealed that the State-wide price for petrol now stands at 108.5 cent per litre, a record. Diesel prices also rose sharply since July, to an average 107.1 cent per litre.

The AA said petrol prices had now risen by over 14 per cent since January, meaning that for "an ordinary car doing ordinary mileage", the motorist was now paying an extra €246 per year or €20.50 every month.

"There seems no end in sight," according to AA public affairs manager Conor Faughnan. "With oil prices still rising, petrol and diesel prices are only going to get worse." Consumers could shop around, he added, "but that only helps so much when prices are rising everywhere".

Mr Faughnan urged the Government to reduce taxes on fuel, saying that while Ireland could do little about world oil prices or exchange rates, the fact remained that over 60 per cent of the retail price of petrol went to the Exchequer.