Truckers join fuel protest in capital (From Swindon Advertiser)

Truckers join fuel protest in capital

7:13pm Wednesday 2nd July 2008 in

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WILTSHIRE lorry drivers joined a fuel protest in the capital.

Drivers from Devizes joined a mass demonstration in London yesterday as part of their effort to get the Government to cut the price of fuel.

Lining their vehicles along a specially closed section of the A40 Westway in west London, the hauliers spoke of their fears for the industry as long as fuel costs remained at record highs.

And one of the first to arrive in the capital was Robin Edmunds, 58, from Devizes.

A haulier for 30 years, Mr Edmunds, who has a fleet of seven lorries, said: "I have never seen times as bad as this.

"The Government has got to cut the fuel duty.

"All this is down to Gordon Brown, and he is pulling Alistair Darling's strings."

Travelling from his Wiltshire base with Mr Edmunds was his son, Michael, 30, who also runs his own business.

He said: "I'm not very optimistic of any change but if we keep knocking on the door, the Government will hopefully listen.

"A lot of people can't afford to take the time off work to come up for this protest.

"Business life for us at the moment is hard - very hard.

"It's got to the stage where I'm wondering whether it's all worth carrying on.

"I'm only a small haulier. We are simply getting swallowed up."

Another early arrival was Paul Prout, 34, who operates five lorries based in Melksham.

He said: "It's all very sad. I've just learned that one of my drivers has had a baby, but I can't afford to run the business just to keep him in a job.

"I have a wife and four children of my own. If I can't make any money running my own lorries, I will have to pack up and go and work for someone else."