Dave Beausire, of Le Mont Saint Garage, said wholesale prices had risen sharply over the past year, driven by the cost of living and the war in the Middle East.
‘We’ve now seen 42p put on the wholesale price of diesel and 30p on unleaded in 12 months,’ he said. ‘It’s snowballed every year.’
Fuel duty, including motor tax, stands at 90.5p a litre. Of that, 22p is road tax, which is due to move to an annual charge if tax reform goes ahead.
Mr Beausire said that would still leave about 68p a litre in duty, which he believes is the highest in Europe.
‘I think it’s time that was looked at,’ he said.
He has seen the effect of rising prices on his freight customers and the wider public, but stressed that retailers were not profiting.
‘The majority of fuel retailers have only passed on the wholesale amount,’ he said.
‘I make the same per litre today, when diesel is about to hit £2 a litre, as I made when it was £1 a litre. So there’s no profiteering from fuel sites.’
He is also frustrated that motorists are routinely targeted when the States raises taxes.
‘Maybe it’s time that we don’t just milk the same cow year on year,’ he said.
‘It’s not just fuel. Emission taxes are now ridiculous and out of proportion. I think it’s time to stop using the car as a cash cow and to start looking elsewhere to bring the money in.’