PUBLIC SUPPORT INCREASES
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Taxing foreign hauliers for using the UK's roads is fast becoming one of the most popular suggestions on the Treasury's Spending Challenge website, CM can reveal.
The website, which lets members of the public submit and rate ideas on ways the government can cut public spending, has eight separate suggestions from members of the public for levying some form of tax on foreign-registered HGVs, attracting a total of 1,341 supporting signatures.
Malcolm Bingham, head of road network man
agement policy at the Freight Transport Association, says: "Foreign lorries make a considerable impact on UK roads, which has so far gone unpaid. This is in stark contrast to the rest of Europe where road pricing is evident in the majority of member states.
"In principle, lorry road-user charging will help to level this rather uneven playing field."
Secretary of State for Transport Philip Hammond has already confirmed that the Department for Transport is "committed to introducing a new system of road-user charging for HG Vs'.