Representatives of the freight haulage industry have condemned the rise in fuel duty planned for next April as an attack on the transport sector. It is regarded as a ‘cynical’ ploy; the Chancellor has tried to appease the general public by reducing the rate of VAT, but is expecting the freight industry to pay for this by increasing their fuel costs. The cost will affect both the domestic haulage and the international freight industries; hard pressed hauliers will be forced to pass on the cost to shippers, thus increasing the overall cost of all types of freight transport.