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DOT aims to clamp down on hauliers who flag out

6th May 1999, Page 7
6th May 1999
Page 7
Page 7, 6th May 1999 — DOT aims to clamp down on hauliers who flag out
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• by Miles BrIgnall Flauliers hoping to escape the UK's punitive Vehicle Excise Duty rates by re-registering their trucks abroad may be banned from domestic haulage in the UK.

The Department of Transport plans to halt the exodus of trucks from the UK by only allowing international hauliers to base vehicles abroad. Many firms had planned to avoid the expense of flagging out by simply registering trucks on the Continent while retaining their UK Operator's Licences.

More than 1,000 operators in Northern Ireland have applied to register trucks south of the border since the March Budget, according to Patrick Pedlow, RHA Regional Secretary for Northern Ireland.

And one Portsmouth haulier has already moved his entire fleet to Spain while simply notifying his local Traffic Area Office of the change of registration plates.

But according to Senior Traffic Commissioner, Michael Betts, hauliers who register vehicles outside the UK and carry on doing domestic work will fall foul of UK VED legislation. 'We already have international operators who have logged foreign-registered vehicles on UK licences and that is fine," he says. "But if a haulier tries to register a foreign vehicle and it's quite clear he only intends to do domestic work then questions will be asked." For example, an operator Stopped by the police will have to show his vehicle was taxed at the correct UK rate.

The DOT's Transport Licensing and Enforcement Branch confirms that operators licensed in Northern Ireland are not entitled to make domestic journeys within the UK using vehicles registered in other EU states. It has also produced a declaration for newly flagged truck operators to sign, stating that their vehicle will only be used on international journeys.

However, any haulier who registers his whole operation abroad and gets an 0-licence in another EU country will still be allowed to carry out domestic UK work under the cabotage regulations.


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