The Task Group has now responded and its summary of evidence has been published as part of the 2006 Pre-Budget Report.

"The Task Group has produced a workmanlike report", said RHA Chief Executive Roger King.

"If we thought that the outcome would be a gateway to substantial fuel duty reduction then clearly we are disappointed, 

“But we have achieved a number of wins including Government enforcement of action against foreign hauliers (although even-handed with UK operators); a clearer definition of cabotage, a letter of understanding of the cabotage footprint, and I believe a real possibility of moving towards foreign vehicle registration via a vignette.

”Both trade associations have battled very hard with top civil servants to press our case.

Right at the core of the debate was whether foreign competition in the UK was here because of cheap fuel or because the balance of trade had changed.

“We cannot do much about the latter but where foreign operators are exploiting cabotage, we can. We will be proposing a cabotage Hotline to VOSA so that this unfairness can be tackled".