The RHA has renewed its call for an Essential User Rebate for transport operators, arguing that recent government support measures do not go far enough to offset the impact of rising fuel costs on the sector.
In an editorial published this week, RHA MD Richard Smith said a 35% increase in fuel prices since February had placed significant pressure on haulage and and van operators, many of whom are unable to pass the full cost increases on to customers, says MotorTransport.
Smith pointed to Office of National Statistics (ONS) figures published last week which show that 40% of trading businesses reported an increase in the prices of goods or services purchased in April 2026, the highest proportion recorded since December 2022.
According to the RHA, only one in 10 operators responding to a recent survey said they were able to fully recover higher fuel costs from customers.
Smith said:
“This is a here-and-now issue that demands substantial government intervention to support the haulage, coach and van operators who underpin our economy and who simply can’t keep on absorbing vastly inflated prices.”
The RHA is calling for the introduction of an Essential User Rebate, which would provide targeted fuel duty relief for commercial transport operators.
The association has been lobbying for this for several years as a way of helping operators manage fuel price volatility while supporting supply chains and reducing inflationary pressures.
The RHA is also continuing to lobby ministers over payment practices in the supply chain. It wants payment terms reduced to 30 days, rather than the 60-day period currently under consideration by government, arguing that faster payments would help ease cashflow pressures for transport businesses dealing with rising operating costs.
The latest call by RHA for an Essential User Rebate follows a series of government measures announced in response to higher fuel prices, including an extension of the fuel duty freeze until December and a one-off HGV Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) holiday from July.
While it has welcomed the extension of the duty freeze, RHA wants the measure to become permanent and is urging ministers not to proceed with plans to raise fuel duty in line with inflation from next year.
(Picture: Yay Images)
