An Angus councillor has called on his fellow elected members to “unite in solidarity” to force action on the price of fuel.
Speaking ahead of Thursday’s full council meeting, Arbroath representative Donald Morrison said that the UK Government must take action to cut costs at the pumps.
As one of the thousands of people who have signed The Courier’s Fight For Fairer Fuel petition, Mr Morrison intends to bring forward a motion to Angus Council seeking support for a UK fuel duty regulator.
“Driving around Arbroath I noticed that diesel has now reached a staggering £1.41 a litre and, given the rate of recent increases, £1.50 a litre is sadly becoming a reality.
“Fuel hikes have a huge effect on rural counties like Angus, where owning a car is a necessity rather than a luxury as public transport in many areas is not an option.
“If the UK Government fail to bring in a fuel regulator the high pump prices will damage the economy of Angus as the costs for goods and services also increase.
“The ability for the population to get to work, to use the shops or, like the many households throughout the county who rely on oil to heat their home, could also become problematic.”
“The UK Coalition Government have been promising to bring in a system of stabilising the price of fuel for nearly a year but as the price continues to rise, nothing has been done.
“There is now a great deal of urgency so it is vital elected members send a strong message to the government on behalf of the people of Angus.”