There appears to be absolutely no 'plan B' to deal with the major problems of foreign lorries on UK roads and the massive differential in diesel duty levels between the UK and Europe.

FTA Chief Executive Richard Turner says, "What is the plan for dealing with the ever increasing number of foreign lorries which get a free ride on UK roads while UK vehicles have to pay in Europe? There does not seem to be one.

"What is the plan for the UK to decouple diesel duty on trucks against cars, thus enabling our domestic transport industry to adjust its rates closer to European competitors? There does not seem to be one.

"The decision to abandon the LRUC is a breach of faith by Government and reneges on a five-year commitment to overhaul the way that lorries are taxed. Industry is left back where it started after the fuel protests in 2000 - with duty rates twice those in the rest of Europe and no way to break the link between truck tax and car tax.

"The LRUC scheme was not perfect. But rather than taking time to get it right, the Government has simply walked away and no plan B has been announced. That is unacceptable for me, for the FTA team, for members, and should be for a Government that for five years has claimed to be committed to solving these problems.

"FTA will be challenging Ministers to show us their plan B and a way out of the mess that the decision leaves the industry in. If they haven't got one, FTA has lots of its own, not least of which is blue diesel or smart fuel cards to create fuel duty decoupling. And what about a time-based vignette to ensure that foreign operators pay at least something for their use of the UK road network? We are not in the mood to take 'no' for an answer."