[scanny]

Deborah Linton
18/ 7/2008

FUEL protesters plan to travel through the heart of Manchester tomorrow in another major stand against rising petrol prices.

The demonstration, organised by pressure group Britain's Revolting, will begin at Lymm Services with a convoy of motorists travelling down the M56, on to Princess Parkway, the Mancunian Way and through the city centre.

The protest, set to start at 9am, is expected to involve at least 100 people including lorry drivers and bikers. It is the third fuel tax protest in the region in the past two months.

Traffic police have said they will close roads, including slip roads, to minimise congestion from the protest and have advised that motorists, particularly those travelling to Manchester Airport, allow themselves extra time for journeys.

Hauliers

In a separate, smaller protest six trucks will form a convoy in Oldham town centre at 11am tomorrow and are expected to be joined by other hauliers as the demonstration makes its way around the town.

Organisers say Britain has the highest rate of tax on petrol in Europe at 60 per cent and are calling on the government to cut duty to bring the price of unleaded down to £1 a litre and diesel to £1.10.

They said they wanted to be highly visible but did not want to disrupt people and had liaised with police over the protest. Duncan Burrow, who spends £75 a week commuting from Crewe to Manchester and has organised the protest, said: "It is not sustainable. People have had enough."

Standstill

On June 5 around 500 bikers tried to bring the city to a stand still during morning rush hour as they travelled down the M602 towards the city centre.

Traffic was stopped at the end of the motorway while the bikers turned off their engines for 10 minutes before obeying a police diversion and heading out towards Salford Quays. In a separate demonstration last month, 80 lorry drivers and around two dozen other motorists took part in a Saturday morning go-slow protest on the M6, heading south from Lymm.

Soaring fuel prices have caused misery for hauliers who say they are no longer able to make a profit and are calling on the Chancellor, Alistair Darling, to introduce a tax rebate for essential users.
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