• Hauliers of medical equipment and other special loads facing
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huge hikes in Vehicle Excise Duty have been told increases will not be as high as was feared.
Until last November vehicles carrying fixed equipment such as medical scanners or display trailers attracted a restricted rate of £150. This was scrapped in last November's Budget and operators thought they would have to pay full tax from 1 July. But Phillip Morgan of the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency has confirmed that for the first year the VED increase has been capped at £1,000.
From 1 July 1996, however, the full rate will have to be paid. The decision will affect 4,700 trucks.
Bristol-based Bence Mobile Partnership hauls scanners for the National Health Service. Transport manager Howard Buffham says: "No one at the DVLA seemed to know what was happening. We negotiated three-year contracts on the basis of the £150 VED rate and we effectively were looking at 900% increases in taxes. At least the capped rate will help."
Hauliers having problems taxing formerly restricted vehicles should contact their nearest vehicle registration office.