TRANSIT TAXES PLEA
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REVISED lorry tax proposals by the Austrian government have come under fire from the International Road Transport Union.
In a statement last week, the IRU said, "Our protests have been heard more than our arguments," and added, "Minister of Finance Dr Androsch has not received us, despite the fact that we had already begun a dialogue with him".
The new proposals were not a bargain for road transport and would still leave Austrian tax three times higher than Yugoslav tax and twice as high as Turkish tax.
In criticising the unilateral imposition of taxes, the IRU goes on to ask whether Austria has specific uses in mind for the lorry tax revenue: "Will it be used for road network improvements and, if so, will it be lifted once improvements are effected?"
Rail transport, says IRU, is not a satisfactory replacement for road transport. There is little scope for competition between the two and there is little surplus capacity on main European rail routes.
The IRU has reaffirmed its belief in road taxes to fund network improvements and is prepared to support international measures towards this end.