Counterproductive fuel price protesters should get on their bikes and off the flipping roads, says Mercy Muroki

If you’re a driver, or rely on a petrol or diesel vehicles in any way, you will undoubtedly be feeling the pinch at forecourts.

I mean, how can you not?

Figures show that fuel hit a new high over the last few days with petrol rising to over 191 pence a litre, diesel at just over 199 pence a litre.

And nearly 45% of all the money we pay for petrol and diesel is taken by the taxman – with 27 to 28% in fuel duty, and 17% being on VAT at 20%.

Not a single person in this country does not want to see fuel prices go down – well, apart from the eco-extremists who want to see cars banned from the face of the earth. But otherwise, it’s one of the very rare issues for which we are ALL in the same boat.

Not a single person I know would not support the cause of the government cutting the cost of fuel.

So, please, somebody – tell me why protestors under the guise of ‘Fuel Price Stand Against Tax’ are from today blocking roads to protest against fuel prices.

They’re expected to block the Prince of Wales Bridge crossing between England and Wales, with disruption also possible in Essex and Gloucestershire.

Police are warning people to avoid the roads as disruption is expected throughout the day on the M4 and M5 southwest.

If the road-blocking shenanigans of eco-activist groups Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil were not a lesson in how NOT to bring people on your side, I don’t know what was.

Insulate Britain’s stunts, which included gluing themselves to roads, cost taxpayers at least £4.3 million at the end of last year; Just Stop Oil protestors cost Essex police £1 million in just a week.

That’s not to mention the lost productivity because people couldn’t get to work, the ambulances stuck in traffic – in fact, a court heard in April how Insulate Britain caused an ambulance trying to race to a chest pain call out to be delayed by nearly an hour.

I just don’t get it. If everyone is already on your side, if the government is well aware how angry voters are about the astronomical cost of filling up, if the chancellor has already promised he’s examining another cut in fuel duty – what’s the point of annoying tens of thousands of ordinary people just trying to get where they’re going.

As the government have pointed out already, these traffic delays with ONLY add to fuel use.

Blocking drivers to make the point that life is getting harder for drivers is like blocking supermarkets because kids are going hungry, or blocking gas supplies to protest the rising cost of heating your home.

Yes, I’m being a bit facetious but surely, all of this is counterproductive.

So, my message to this so-called ‘Fuel Price Stand Against Tax’ is this:

Dear protestors,

Please stop blocking the roads. It’s awfully annoying.

Life is already tough enough at the moment for people. So please could you kindly get on yer bikes, and get off the flippin’ roads.

Love, a disgruntled driver