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Don't let them run free
Page 22
Page 23
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Operators still believe some form of truck charging is needed after the Lorry Road User Charge scheme was abandoned. CM and Michelin gather opinions.
A SUBSTANTIAL majority of operators believe the government should come up with an alternative truck charging scheme following the abandonment of its proposed Lorry Road User Charge (LRUC). according to the latest CM/Michelin Business Monitor.
Despite only 44% of respondents expressing disappointment with the government's decision to scrap the planned charge, 75% believe the government still needs to find a way to charge foreign operators for using UK roads ahead of its proposed road charging scheme. due at the earliest in 2015.
Unsurprisingly, this month's survey reveals that for 89% of operators fuel duty remains their primary concem.Despite this, only 30% of operators are able to pass any increase in fuel costs onto their customers.
Ron Boyles from Brackleybased RW Boyles Transport says: -Although we didn't really know the full details of LRUC it is disappointing that foreign operators will be able to run for free on our roads for the next 15 years.
"The government should charge them in the same way we have to pay abroad. We are facing increasing competition from foreign hauliers; a lot more goods are produced abroad and local hauliers are bringing the goods over. High transport costs have a devastating effect on the UK manufacturing industry too."
Frank Stears from Favershambased Stears Haulage agrees:"The government should charge foreign trucks £5 when they come into the UK ports. We have to pay a Vignette when we go abroad, and if we're stopped and haven't bought one we're not allowed to move until we have paid a £500 fine. There should also be on-the-spot fines for foreign trucks. If I'm fined £1000 by VOSA for being overloaded then they should be too."
The pressure of rising fuel prices, alongside the recent terrorist attacks, has also dampened operators' businessconfidence.Only 76% of operators say their business confidence is the same or greater than the last quarter this compares with 80% of operators three months ago. Operators surveyed that expect their businesses to grow or stay the same have also decreased over the past three months from 92% to 82%.A note of caution is sounded by 22% who say their business confidence has dropped since the last quarter.
"We are going to cut back our fleet by one vehicle as it is very quiet at the moment. This could just be due to the holiday period, but we can't afford to keep a truck standing still: in fact the last two weeks have been the quietest I can rememberand I've been in the industry for 30 years," adds Boyles.