Pressure to scrap the next planned increase in fuel duty mounted yesterday when more than 700 businesses signed an appeal to the Chancellor.

The protest, organised by the British Chambers of Commerce against the next 2p rise, came after similar calls from road hauliers who complain that that they are being driven out of business by the high cost of fuel.

The Freight Transport Association has said that the next rise, due in April, will cost hauliers £170million, or an extra £15,000 per vehicle per 100,000 miles on the road. The increase will follow a 2p rise in October - and another rise is expected next year.

Last month there were muted protests from hauliers attached to the Transaction pressure group. However, only a small number turned out and did not threaten the widespread chaos caused by the fuel protests of 2000. Speculation about civil unrest has spread as fuel prices have continued to rise, hitting $100 a barrel.

Haulage companies complain that the UK charges more tax than any other European country. David Frost, director-general of the BCC, said: “The message being sent from government to our logistics industry is particularly worrying. The ability for hauliers to compete with other European firms is looking increasingly threatened, especially considering the UK economy faces a slowdown in 2008.”

The BCC said that a large cross-section of businesses had put their names to the letter, including hauliers, logistics companies and many organisations with a vehicle fleet.

The letter stated: “With the price of oil hovering around the $100 a barrel mark, British hauliers are finding it increasingly difficult to compete with their European competitors due to the high taxes levied on fuel in the UK. The new rise will only compound the problems, with many small hauliers likely to be the worst hit as they will find it difficult to pass on the extra costs to customers.”

The BCC echoed calls from the haulage industry for the Treasury to draw up a different taxation system that separates the taxes on fuel for commercial vehicles.

Regular tax increases

— The last increase in fuel duty of 2p was in October. Before that it rose by 1¼p in November 2006

— The Treasury no longer operates a “fuel duty escalator” but hauliers say that it operates in all but name

— The escalator was scrapped in 2000 after widespread protests. It was introduced in 1993 and meant that fuel duty rose by 3 per cent above inflation

— Road vehicles must use duty-paid fuels. Agricultural ones can use rebated “red diesel”

— Petrol duty was first introduced in 1909, at a rate of 3d per gallon

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