Industry slams VED U-turn
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by Miles Brignall • The Freight Transport Association has expressed surprise at the plan for continuous vehicle excise duty on all vehicles up to 12 tonnes—because last December Pay-master-general David Heath-coat-Amory told Parliament the Government had no plans to impose this requirement on vehicles above 3.5 tonnes.
"The FTA is disappointed there appears to have been a change of heart," says a spokesman. "We will be campaigning on behalf of the opera tors of the 150,000 7.5-tonne trucks presently on Britain's roads to get this reversed."
Under the proposals any haulier deciding to lay up a vehicle weighing up to 7.5 tonnes will have to pay a quarter of the current VED while the vehicle is off the road. He will then be able to claim this amount as a credit when re-taxing it for normal use. Truck dealers should not be affected. El If the consultation process runs to the projected timetable uninterrupted licensing is expected in 1998.