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The shambles continues...
Page 66
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Following the election it seems
we're in for five more years' hard labour, with more Weapons of Mass Destruction fired at our industry. Ray Dickson is not impressed.
Ihave recently been looking at the Lorry Road User Charge (LRUC).What a shambles! The origin of this monstrosity was a 2001 consultation document: Modernising the Taxation of the Haulage Industry. You will have noticed the key word,"taxation"it appears to me that Gordon Brown wants revenge for the fuel tax protests of 2000.
Not content with taking 40% from the average worker in tax, NI and VAT, and then even more from operators from fuel duty, he brings in a multitude of stealth taxes and fines for everything we do in excess of breathing.And then.just in case we make a small annual profit. Brown is there to slap Corporation Tax on us all.
My father was sufficiently angered back in the 1950s by nationalisation to go into local politics, but at least we knew in those days we were working solely for the government!
Cost of the LRUC
The LRUC could cost the industry hundreds of pounds per vehicle for having the appropriat equipment fitted and we will then be forced to pay for using the roads which were originally built in order to move materials and foodstuffs around. We will pay variable charges according to the roads used and time of day, and then receive a rebate.
From what I understand, se ven different organisations are at present shortlisted to plan implementation of the scheme, and three are vying to secure the lucrative charging contract.
The LRUC, says the government, is a system for charging our foreign competitors for using our roads. If that were true it would be far easier to make foreign hauliers pay for a weekly permit at the point of entry to our country. No, once again it's putting British hauliers to the sword.
Imagine charging our customers after the LRUC is foisted upon us.There'd be a basic job price, then on top of that the congestion charge, a fuel surcharge, LRUC charge, PCN fine... we'll never get the invoices out. It's time to act now. Get the RHA. FTA and our beloved Commercial Motor involved. Lobby your MP; do something now before it's too late. Except, worryingly, maybe it already is. •