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November 15, 2000 10:48 AM, EST

LONDON — The British government announced a raft of tax cuts and measures designed to appease truckers who brought the nation to a standstill in September with protest blockades.

The plan was announced Nov. 8 by Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown in hopes of staving off future blockades. The plan includes the simplification and reduction of the country’s excise tax on trucks, a tax cut on low-sulfur diesel, a freeze of the diesel tax rate and creation of a system that would require carriers based in foreign countries to pay to use England’s roads.

The pre-budget report gives an interim account of the country’s fiscal health and offers a preview of the budget, which is announced in spring.

Not included in the plan was the large cut in the diesel fuel tax demanded by fuel tax protesters who in late September blockaded fuel depots and caused widespread shortages of fuel throughout the country.

For the full story, see the Nov. 13 print edition of Transport Topics. .