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Brown to charge foreigners
Page 6
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• by Melanie Hammond News that the government has buckled under pressure to introduce a system of charging foreign hauliers for using UK roads is not as good as it seems, industry Figures s est.
As CM was going to press Chancellor Gordon Brown announced in his pre-Budget statement an immediate consultation into a system where operators of foreign vehicles would "pay their share".
However Roger King, chief executive of the RHA, says the proposals are too complex and could take up to four years to execute. Rather than a vignette system which would charge a flat daily rate, the government is looking at two options—either time-based or distance-based charging. King claims this will be 'extraordinarily difficult" to do and says "a fast solution for a level playing field is as far away as ever".
The charges would apply to operators of all nationalities; however, the government says it will ensure that this will not increase overall costs for UK hauliers. King says: "The only way t ensure this would be to reduc fuel duty—I really don't see ho+ else reductions can be made.
Richard Turner of the FTA more positive: "It's good new but it's small beer in the tot scheme of things compared t the effect of cheap foreign fuel
The Chancellor gave no ind cation of a cut, or a freeze, c diesel duty in the March Budge Instead he is offering tax ince, tives for using technology an "green" fuels.
• Further details next week.