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Irish toll rise will hike costs by 7%
Page 18
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A DIESEL TAX hike of 5c/lit in the 3 December Irish Budget could force up direct haulage costs by 7`)/0.And a40% increase in toll charges at Dublin's Westlink Toll Bridge on the M50 will raise costs even higher.
The toll rise — technically not a tax rise but an increase levied by the operating company National Toll Roads (NTR) — was announced on Budget day but will not take effect until 1 January. NTR also operates the Eastlink toll bridge in Dublin Port and tolls have risen there too.
The Irish Road Haulage Association has attacked the toll rises as blatant profiteering and warned that they are unacceptable to haufiers.The new charges at Westlink will be: two-axle trucks, €4.20 (up from €3.80); three-axle trucks €4.80 (€4.40);and four-axle trucks €5.20 (£4.80). The new charges at the Eastlink toll bridge will be: two-axle trucks €2.60 (€2.50), three-axle €320 (€3.10) and fouraxle €4.00 (€3.80).
The Irish Small Firms Association estimates that the diesel tax rises will cost a small distribution company operating 10 vehicles an additional €2.500 per vehicle in a full year. It says transport already accounts for some 5% of retail prices in Ireland and these change will force up transport costs.
David Blevins of the Legitimate Oils pressure group says the 5c/lit increase in fuel duty in the Republic will make no difference to the cross-border fuel trade.
This trade, both legal and ille gal, is costing the British Exchequer an estimated £380m a year in lost revenues.
Diesel on the Southern side of the Border now costs 88c/lit (62p/ lit). "It will make no difference to us,says a spokesperson for Woodside Haulage of Ballyclare, which is one of the Northern Ireland firms furthest from the border. "We will continue to fill up in the South."