A grand is not enough as LRUC approaches
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By Christopher Walton A £1,000-a-year charge for foreign trucks to drive on UK roads is still “not enough” to level the playing ield between domestic and continental operators, the Road Haulage Association (RHA) has warned.
Earlier this week the Department for Transport (DfT) conirmed that draft legislation will be published next month, and that it “expects the charge to be in place as soon as possible” but no later than 2015.
RHA chief executive Geoff Dunning said: “This is a happy day for hauliers. [Those] travelling to mainland Europe have to pay road charges, but foreignregistered vehicles travelling to the UK pay nothing.” However, he added: “This is not enough to give us a level playing ield as regards the rest of Europe. But it is a good start and will help no end in beginning to prepare the ground.” The charge will also apply to all UK-registered LGVs, but a corresponding cut in VED to offset the lorry road user charge (LRUC) for UK hauliers will be introduced.
However, some vehicles will be required to pay more under new VED bands that will be introduced alongside the LRUC. For example, 3,227 owners of two-axle artics plated at 25 tonnes will ind themselves £66 out of pocket per truck. The DfT estimates that 6% of UK-registered LGVs would have to pay more VED annually under the LRUC. Under EU law, it is illegal to charge foreign-registered vehicles and not UK-registered vehicles.
New transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “These proposals will deliver a vital shot in the arm of the UK haulage industry. It isn’t right that foreign lorries do not pay to use our roads.” ● McLoughlin has hinted that the DfT could put the brakes on a proposed increase to 80mph speed limits on motorways. He told Sky News last week: “Speed does kill – and most of the very serious accidents that take place on our roads involve people disobeying the speed limits.”