Motorway protest plan over rising fuel prices

At last! Can't believe this has taken so long to come about. At £6 a gallon we ALL need to man the barricades.

HUNDREDS of bikers and motorists are expected to stage a go-slow protest along one of the North of England's main motorways after petrol prices have soared to an all-time high.

The demonstration on the first Bank Holiday weekend in May has been organised along the M62 between Yorkshire and Lancashire amid widespread condemnation of the UK's fuel costs.

The RAC revealed on Thursday last week that the average price of a litre of petrol at the pumps is now 120p, eclipsing the previous peak of 119.7p set in July 2008.

More than 1,500 bikers and motorists are expected to join the go-slow convey leaving Hartshead Moor Services, near Huddersfield, on May 1.

The protesters will meet at 9am before joining a second convoy at Birch Services, on the M62 near Middleton.

Taking up all the motorway lanes at no more than 25 miles an hour, they will head for Manchester Town Hall to be joined by more demonstrators on foot.

A spokesman for the protest said: "We hope to beat the turn-out for a similar protest in 2008 and will do it on Saturday out of compassion for those who are trying to earn a decent crust at work."

The new record petrol prices came days after the Government raised fuel duty by 1p a litre. A further 1p rise is due in the autumn, with a 0.76p increase planned for next January.

The RAC blamed the increase on a combination of factors.

Primarily, the weak pound and the increase in the wholesale price of fuel had produced a steady rise since the beginning of the year. Also, tax rises since December 2008 have added around 10p to the cost of a litre of fuel.

The AA said a two-car family had seen its monthly petrol costs rise from £233.32 to £254.60.

With the pound 13.5 per cent weaker now than 18 months ago, it is likely that the pump price of petrol will rise another 1p to about 121p a litre.