RHA presses for a diesel duty refund
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RHA CONFERENCE REPORT
by Miles MooIll • The Road Haulage Association wants the Government to launch an "essential user" diesel tax rebate for hauliers to offset fuel price rises over the next few years.
The idea is for the Government to stick to its plans by increasing the duty payable on petrol and diesel, but to offer hauliers a rebate on the fuel they use. A similar scheme is currently being tried in Holland.
Speaking at the RHA's annual conference, head of policy, Karen Dee, told delegates that only hauliers with Operators' licences would be eligible for such an "essential user" rebate.
They would purchase diesel in the normal way and would claim a rebate based on the mileages shown on their tachographs. The RHA is offering to process claims on behalf of its members. Any operators found to have hours irregularities would lose the rebate on those journeys.
Dee hopes the idea can be sold to the Government as self-funding, but she is unsure how much hauliers might save. "The amount of rebate would be based on a complicated equation," she says. This proposal has the added advantage of discriminating against cowboys: unlicensed hauliers would not get a rebate and, as claims would be based on tachograph evidence, anyone flouting the hours laws would also lose out.
RHA director-general Steven Norris says of the proposal: "It's killing three birds with one stone—rebates on diesel, greater pressure on cowboys and environmentalists pleased by increased duty."
• Any move to offer a fuel duty rebate is likely to require approval from the European Commission Dutch hauliers are currently putting a similar scheme before the EU.
The RHA's proposal might be seen as giving UK hauliers an unfair advantage, unless firms from all EU countries were allowed to claim the rebate.
This rebate might also be used to encourage the use of more modern vehicles by offering a higher rebate to Euro-2 or 3 trucks.