Truckies protest fuel prices, taxes

  • 15/10/2018

An Auckland trucking company is taking stand over the price of fuel.

Around 200 RNB Transport trucks will convey from Silverdale into the CBD in protest on Monday morning.

Organiser Rob Ryan says something needs to be done.

"Everything is transported by trucks, and it affects everybody, the average car user, and it certainly affects those people with bugger-all money that can barely afford bread and milk."

Prices at the pump are at record highs following a fall in the New Zealand dollar, a rise in the price of oil and new taxes - the Government's latest regular 3.5c excise tax increase and Auckland Council's 11.5c regional fuel tax.

RNB Transport trucks in a convoy in protest of fuel prices and taxes.
RNB Transport trucks in a convoy in protest of fuel prices and taxes. Photo credit: Twitter/Louise Matthews.

Mr Ryan says it is having a huge effort on his business.

"We've had to put our rates up, so it affects everybody that we put our rates up to. We lose a bit of business because we've had to increase our rates."

The rally starts in Silverdale, north of the city, at 7am.

The Government wants a market study commissioned, forcing fuel companies to open their books. Mr Ryan says they need to get on with it.

"We pay all these taxes. You're our employees, you're supposed to be looking after us. Pull finger and get it done man, because people are suffering."

He says the Government could start by canning the regional fuel tax, which is intended to help fund better transport networks for the often-gridlocked city.

Energy Minister Megan Woods told Newshub Nation on Saturday if the Government got rid of the regional fuel tax, petrol companies would just "gobbled up" the difference.  She said only a "fraction" of the 39c rise in the average price of a litre of petrol over the last 12 months is tax.

"Since 2008, New Zealand has gone from having one of the lowest pre-tax prices of petrol to the highest in the OECD."

Newshub.