Foreign hauliers move into the UK market
Page 6
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• The number of foreign trucks working in the UK has increased by 50% over the past two years, according to Government figures which undermine its own claim that UK operators are not being hammered by fuel and VED tax hikes.
Compared with 1996 there are now an additional 240,000 foreign truck movements per year into the UK, with an increase of 128,000 last year.
Freight Transport Association directorgeneral David Green says: "These figures confirm that there has been an enormous growth in foreign vehicles coming to the UK. They have stifled the growth of UK interna
tional haulage by their ability to provide back loads to Europe at knock-down prices. Unless the Government changes its taxation policy these vehicles will begin to make significant inroads into the domestic haulage market."
The figures, released by the Department of Transport, show that: • In 1998 the number of UK-registered vehicles travelling to the Continent was unchanged, at 544,000.
• The number of foreign registered vehicles increased by 128,000(21%) to 726,000. The 1997 figure was 598,000; up from 484,000 in 1996.
• See story, page 10.