The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has warned the government not to impose further transport taxes to refill its depleted coffers.

In its submission to the pre-Budget review, the FTA said it was concerned that the Treasury may look again at the logistics sector, despite Chancellor Alistair Darling’s “welcome” decision in July not to apply an extra 2p per litre on fuel duty.

FTA chief executive Theo de Pencier said: “To apply an increased tax burden through fuel duty or vehicle excise duty may seem to the chancellor like a quick fix for the government’s financial problems, but the reality is that those costs will be felt by consumers.”

The FTA is urging the government to make “an unambiguous commitment” to decouple duty applied to diesel for HGVs from that of other road users.