Peter Carroll of the FairFuelUK campaign, which is supported by the Road Haulage Association and the Freight Transport Association said "everyone is suffering" with the record fuels costs and called on the government to abolish April's one pence per litre hike in fuel duty, warning it will lead to job cuts and company closures.
"Fuel prices are already at record levels. Everyone is suffering. Surely it cannot be right to go ahead against the background of such high prices and an increasing level of inflation. Businesses and millions of motorists are being squeezed and cannot take any more of these increases without jobs being lost, prices in the shops going up and businesses going bust."
"It's vital that everyone who is concerned about surging fuel prices backs us at www.fairfueluk.com. The government will only listen if we have enormous business and public support," he added.
Geoff Dunning, chief executive of the Road Haulage Association, claimed fuel prices will rise by five pence in April.
"We now estimated that the rise could be as much as 5p per litre because the Chancellor is committed to adding his 1p extra duty on top of the rate of inflation which is rising fast," he said.
The TaxPayers' Alliance has claimed that research found UK drivers are singled out for additional taxation through fuel duty of £24.6billion.
Matthew Sinclair, from the alliance said motorists are being "unduly punished".
"Drivers already pay their fair share when they buy the vehicle and tax it and then every time they fill up.
"It's time the government stopped squeezing ordinary families who have to use their cars and started giving them a better deal by cutting fuel duty."
At the forecourts across the province, traders are also feeling the pinch.
Merril Boulton from the Forecourt Trader magazine said the spiralling costs of petrol rises was leading to a dramatic change in driving habits and a subsequent reduction in business.
"Traders only receive a very small percentage profit on each litre of fuel sold and they rely heavily on customers buying other items of food, hot drinks and other products," Ms Boulton told the News Letter.
"But what we are hearing now, is that more people are staying away from petrol stations and this is having a big impact for many of our forecourt traders.
"Certainly, this has become a massive issue at the moment, especially with fears of further price rises. More and more people are calling on the government to curtail the amount of duty they are imposing, which can be anything up to 80p a litre, but at the moment there seems to be very little movement."
According to research, nearly half of all Ulster drivers are now travelling extra miles just to find cheaper fuel.
In a survey carried out by insurers Open and Direct, 45 per cent of 1,200 drivers questioned, drove further for fuel, while almost a third are searching the internet to find the cheapest filling stations.
"Petrol prices are such a contentious issue at the moment it is heartening to find out that most motorists are intent on seeking out the cheapest motoring deals," said Colin McEvoy from the insurance company,
The scale of the rises in pump prices were outlined by the Consumer Council in Northern Ireland who voiced their calls for a fuel stabiliser.
"In the first week of January 2010 it cost £54.97 to fill a car with petrol and £56.06 to fill with diesel.
"However, at the start of 2011, it now costs £63.66 to fill a car with petrol and £65.90 for diesel – that's an increase of £8.69 for petrol and for diesel £9.84," said Scott Kennerley from the council.
"The introduction of a fuel price stabiliser may go some way to alleviating the increasing cost of fuel to beleaguered motorists and provide help and reassurance to businesses to encourage growth in the economy at a time when it is most needed," he added.
"Fuel prices are already at record levels. Everyone is suffering. Surely it cannot be right to go ahead against the background of such high prices and an increasing level of inflation. Businesses and millions of motorists are being squeezed and cannot take any more of these increases without jobs being lost, prices in the shops going up and businesses going bust."
"It's vital that everyone who is concerned about surging fuel prices backs us at www.fairfueluk.com. The government will only listen if we have enormous business and public support," he added.
Geoff Dunning, chief executive of the Road Haulage Association, claimed fuel prices will rise by five pence in April.
"We now estimated that the rise could be as much as 5p per litre because the Chancellor is committed to adding his 1p extra duty on top of the rate of inflation which is rising fast," he said.
The TaxPayers' Alliance has claimed that research found UK drivers are singled out for additional taxation through fuel duty of £24.6billion.
Matthew Sinclair, from the alliance said motorists are being "unduly punished".
"Drivers already pay their fair share when they buy the vehicle and tax it and then every time they fill up.
"It's time the government stopped squeezing ordinary families who have to use their cars and started giving them a better deal by cutting fuel duty."
At the forecourts across the province, traders are also feeling the pinch.
Merril Boulton from the Forecourt Trader magazine said the spiralling costs of petrol rises was leading to a dramatic change in driving habits and a subsequent reduction in business.
"Traders only receive a very small percentage profit on each litre of fuel sold and they rely heavily on customers buying other items of food, hot drinks and other products," Ms Boulton told the News Letter.
"But what we are hearing now, is that more people are staying away from petrol stations and this is having a big impact for many of our forecourt traders.
"Certainly, this has become a massive issue at the moment, especially with fears of further price rises. More and more people are calling on the government to curtail the amount of duty they are imposing, which can be anything up to 80p a litre, but at the moment there seems to be very little movement."
According to research, nearly half of all Ulster drivers are now travelling extra miles just to find cheaper fuel.
In a survey carried out by insurers Open and Direct, 45 per cent of 1,200 drivers questioned, drove further for fuel, while almost a third are searching the internet to find the cheapest filling stations.
"Petrol prices are such a contentious issue at the moment it is heartening to find out that most motorists are intent on seeking out the cheapest motoring deals," said Colin McEvoy from the insurance company,
The scale of the rises in pump prices were outlined by the Consumer Council in Northern Ireland who voiced their calls for a fuel stabiliser.
"In the first week of January 2010 it cost £54.97 to fill a car with petrol and £56.06 to fill with diesel.
"However, at the start of 2011, it now costs £63.66 to fill a car with petrol and £65.90 for diesel – that's an increase of £8.69 for petrol and for diesel £9.84," said Scott Kennerley from the council.
"The introduction of a fuel price stabiliser may go some way to alleviating the increasing cost of fuel to beleaguered motorists and provide help and reassurance to businesses to encourage growth in the economy at a time when it is most needed," he added.
