Rural Ireland is being driven off the road by new punishing government imposed fuel taxes, transport charges and levies, with devastating consequences for small family run businesses across rural Ireland. - Advertisement -According to Hyland, “Every extra penny at the pump and every levy on our livelihoods is another nail in the coffin of the haulage industry but also on small business in rural Ireland. Haulage companies are being pushed to the brink, with some already forced out of business, as fuel taxes, increased tolls, new port charges and carbon taxes rise relentlessly. “Government take the easy option every time and hike taxes on transport – which disproportionately impacts on rural Ireland, where there is no viable public transport alternative. “They don’t seem to grasp the damage they are doing to the Irish economy and to rural Ireland in particular.

Source: The Herald January 06, 2026 07:19 UTC