FREDERICTON — The head of the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association is calling for the provincial government here to give truckers a break by slashing the tax on diesel by a dime a liter.

The APTA executive director, Peter Nelson, told the Daily Gleaner that rising costs of fuel — especially in the Atlantic provinces where prices are the most inflated — has now trumped the shortage of drivers as the industry’s top concern.

Diesel pump prices have been around $1.40 for the past week. In more remote parts of the region, the price can be as much as $1.50.

A spokesperson with the Department of Finance said a review of fuel taxes, among other consumption taxes, will be part of a green paper on tax reform in the province, the newspaper states.

A legislative committee will be then make recommendations to the government about tax policy.