Fuel protesters plan M4 blockade

Hurricane Katrina has affected oil prices

Fuel protesters in Wales say they will stage a blockade on the M4 next Friday in the wake of rising petrol prices.

The South Wales Hauliers' Association made the vow after a meeting of 60 hauliers and taxi and coach operators.

Earlier this week organisers of the 2000 fuel protests said they would act again if fuel tax was not cut.

The Treasury says cutting tax would not solve the problem of oil prices forced up after refineries in the US were knocked out by Hurricane Katrina.

Fuel Lobby has threatened to block all UK refineries on 14 September, as the price of unleaded petrol rose to more than £1 a litre in parts of the UK.

'Just the start'

The Wales protesters plan to stage a 20mph rolling blockade along the M4 from 0700 BST on Friday 16 September.

Beginning at Cross Hands in west Wales, they will travel along the motorway to the Magor Services near Newport.

They then plan to turn around and head back to Cross Hands on the west bound carriageway.

Mike Greene of the South Wales Hauliers' Association - who was active in the 2000 fuel protests - said when the protesters returned to Cross Hands they would take a show of hands on whether or not to set up blockades at oil refineries.

If protesters voted ''yes' they would start blockading the refineries that evening, he said.

Mr Greene told BBC Wales if Fuel Lobby spokesman Andrew Spence, who is leading the fuel protests in England, decided to blockade oil refineries as early as Wednesday then protesters in Wales would follow suit.

Mr Greene urged the motoring public to support the protest saying everyone would benefit from a drop in fuel prices.

He called for parity in fuel prices with the rest of Europe, criticised the government and said that the rolling road blockades were just the start of things to come.

---

Are you taking part in the blockade? Do you support the fuel protests? Send us your comments using the form below.

I appreciate why protests happen but some of us have to drive all over the country as part of our job. We do not want to get caught up in this kind of trouble again. Why should these protestors disrupt my journey and make me lose time with my children. Please don't do this.
Stephen Weightman, Derby, England

I believe the protest should have been done before now and I hope the government finally take action to reduce prices
Alex Livingstone, Edinburgh, Scotland

I am a student and I fully support the fuel protests. The government are creaming billions in extra revenue from the increases in the fuel costs. Would it not make much more sense for the government's fuel tax multiplier to be dependant on inflation? That way they are not using motorists to cover the holes in their budget. Maybe it is also time to review the triple taxing on fuel?
Andrew Paton, Exeter, UK

These fuel protesters are way out of line and will only hurt the general public with their blockades. This is caused by a natural disaster.
Alan Foster, Leeds, UK

The protesters seem happy to disrupt the rest of the working population. Could they not blockade government offices etc instead, and perhaps gain our sympathy rather than turning us against them. They should realise that none of us are happy about the price of fuel.
James Wilson, Aberystwyth, Wales

I support the blockades as I commute a considerable distance to work each day because of the pathetic employment prospects in my area. I am beginning to struggle to make £30 every week last in petrol costs. If the government still cannot listen to the general public when we say 'stop taxing motorists more than you spend on the roads' then that's their own lookout, isn't it? But then £30 a week is nothing to them is it? They aren't on 9k a year and trying to save so that they can start an independent life. About time they took a look at what's being said by the people of this country instead of making decisions based on political correctness.
Dave Allanach, Barnsley, UK

I absolutely support them 100%. I don't think it's going far enough. We should blockade Dover ports like the French do - it works for them. Petrol has got to the point where I can no longer afford to get to work. What a great country.
Dave Smith, Dymchurch, UK

Since public transport is not viable option for most people to get from A to B then the government have a duty of care to the nation to allow it to go about its business without risk of bankruptcy. More should also be done to support business who wish to develop fuel cell technologies.
Emyr Morris, Pontardawe, Wales

A road blockade will just anger people and make things worse. It will only affect people going to work and will lead to people having to waste petrol on longer routes or in the blockade. People will only have to buy more petrol. And if the refinery blockade goes ahead, then that's just worse. We can't afford to let petrol become a price where it is easy to use it lightly, like in the US. Reserves are running out and the environment will bare the damage. Business has a long time to go until they feel the effect of exploding fuel prices. It's barley starting.
Tomos Harris, Swansea

All I can say to the protesters is "get a life" and stop being so selfish.
Debbie Rose-Lewis, Maidstone, UK

In 2000, the protesters tried the patience of the public to the limit, and just called off their actions in time. This time they might not be so fortunate.
Iain, Warrington

As long as they don't prevent fuel from being available to the emergency services they have my full support. Something needs to be done about the cost of fuel, we all understand the price of oil is rising but the majority of what we pay is still tax.
Fiona, Scotland

I do support the blockade; it seems that when things are bad for the Americans, we always pay the price. The government hike up taxes and kill many companies with no compassion at all.
Sue, Leicester, England

I do not support the fuel protests. The recent rise in fuel costs is not down to taxation but due to market forces - demand that increasingly outstrips supply. Bleating on about the cost of fuel on the forecourts does not address the fundamental issue. We need to decrease our reliance on oil as a society in an orderly fashion before dwindling supply forces us to with dire economic consequences.
Matt Richardson, Linlithgow, UK

I think the government is making to much money from us as it is never mind all the tax on fuel you look at the price per gallon in the US - $2.65c and then let people work out the price in sterling. This government will come to a standstill if they don't drop the petrol prices.
david sowersby, Middlesbrough

I support the protest 100%. When I started driving nine years ago it was £20 to fill up, now a similar car is almost £40. I am lucky to earn a fairly decent wage, but what about the poor, or the businesses who will be out of pocket? The government says that they can't be blamed for the rising oil prices - but that's not the issue, it's the tax that's the issue. They need to wake up.
Alan , Surrey, England

I am not taking part in the fuel blockade and I find it appalling that a group of individuals can disrupt normal travel arrangements for ordinary people trying to go to work or on holiday.
Patricia Fleming, Peterborough, England