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LRUC IS NOT FOR OUR BENEFIT

31st March 2005, Page 12
31st March 2005
Page 12
Page 12, 31st March 2005 — LRUC IS NOT FOR OUR BENEFIT
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

if there's a way to make things more bureaucratic and more expensive, you can guarantee the government will find it. For a prime example of this look no further than the Lorry Road User Charge (LRUC).

Many industry insiders have said all along that proposals for the LRUC were too complex and too expensive. Equipping every truck with a black box, setting up tracking systems and then invoicing firms for every mile driven at different rates according to the type of road they were on was never going to be straightforward; anyone with an ounce of common sense could have told the government that.

Instead, it has taken the Transport Select Committee's verdict to make the government take notice. While it's good news that at least one official government body has raised concerns, we have to be sure that its conclusions aren't just swept to one side. With plans for the LRUC well under way for a planned launch in 2008, and government already planning to charge cars under the same system, it will take more than a bit of criticism to derail this dog's dinner of a plan.

It will take more than a bit of criticism to derail this dog's dinner of a plan"

Forget any pious talk of levelling the playing field with foreign trucks it seems to use that the only reason we're going down this route is so the government can test the technology on us before extending it to cars. And we still don't know who will pay for the kit to be fitted in trucks... but you can bet your bottom dollar that it won't be the government. Let's just hope the Select Committee can help push road charging in a direction that benefits everyone, rather than just the Chancellor.

• Are you planning to visit the CV Show? Then come along and see us on the CM stand in Hall 7. Once again we'll be running our legal clinic staffed by industry-leading lawyers see page 51 for details of how to book your free session and we'll also be giving away £100 every couple of hours in a prize draw bonanza!

if you want to know what else is going on, turn to page 51 for a full preview.


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