Foreign Lorries being charged to use UK roads

[anthony263]

Seen this on the BBC news website this morning:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19614862

New charge for foreign lorries using British roads

Foreign lorries are to be charged up to £1,000 a year to use British roads - in a bid to benefit domestic hauliers.

The fee will also apply to UK-based lorries - but this will be offset by an equivalent cut in vehicle excise duty.

The move is designed to create a "level playing field" for British lorry drivers, as they have to pay for using roads in Europe.

The AA said it was concerned the system could lead to a universal road charging scheme for all motorists.

The government will publish draft legislation next month and ministers said the charge would be brought in by the end of the current parliament at the latest.

The amount of the charge would depend on the size of the vehicle and is expected to raise a total of £20m a year.

'Boosting growth'

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: "These proposals will deliver a vital shot in the arm to the UK haulage industry.

"It is simply not right that foreign lorries do not pay to use our roads, when our trucks invariably have to fork out when travelling to the continent . (read more)

A good idea if it helps UK hauliers.

Although I suspect this could mean customers get charged more by hauliers especially if say in the case of the company I work for we order a lot of supplies from the factory in Holland or Germany as well as from our depots in Scunthorpe, Burton on Trent or London.

 

[Eagle]

Bit of a no-brainer really, being as most other countries in Europe already do this.

 

[34D]

Bit of a no-brainer really, being as most other countries in Europe already do this.

The way to avoid this of course is to have containers (or complete trailers) put on boats, then collected at the other end by a native tractor unit. Such a simple idea, yet so much red tape (trailer inspections would essentially kill it).

 

[mbonwick]

Needs to happen, but the government need to look at the fuel duty and how it compares to Europe...

If continental trucks are over here a lot, the £1,000 per year will quickly disappear (vs costs of our native hauliers) through the use of cheaper continental diesel while they're over here.

 

[Darandio]

If continental trucks are over here a lot, the £1,000 per year will quickly disappear (vs costs of our native hauliers) through the use of cheaper continental diesel while they're over here.

Depending on how far they are travelling inland of course, there are going to be a lot that do need to fill up here.

That said, the £1000 per year is £1000 more than we were getting previously.

 

[starrymarkb]

Needs to happen, but the government need to look at the fuel duty and how it compares to Europe...

If continental trucks are over here a lot, the £1,000 per year will quickly disappear (vs costs of our native hauliers) through the use of cheaper continental diesel while they're over here.

Continental Fuel isn't as cheap as a lot make out. Germany was over £1.50 a litre (€1.70 IIRC) earlier this year. Holland was also very expensive!

 

[jon0844]

Sweden always used to be slightly cheaper than here, but isn't now - although most of that is down to the exchange rate.

I don't think fuel prices vary that much in (Western) Europe.

 

[Stonesourscotty]

These foreign firms have other ways of making money. Baku who appear to be a Turkish firm that supply Matalans clothes regularly sell there spare foreign fuel to car drivers outside the warehouse in Skelmersdale Lancashire

 

[Jonny]

Sweden always used to be slightly cheaper than here, but isn't now - although most of that is down to the exchange rate.

I don't think fuel prices vary that much in (Western) Europe.

Another exchange rate is the USD, in which crude oil is traded, to the currency that the produced fuel is sold in. As a result of the Bank of England's low interest policy, that has seen the GBP/USD rate sliding in an unfavourable direction (1.5-1.6 USD per GBP, vs about 2 USD per GBP in 2007), which combined with Britain no longer being a net exporter has driven prices up substantially.

 

[starrymarkb]

These foreign firms have other ways of making money. Baku who appear to be a Turkish firm that supply Matalans clothes regularly sell there spare foreign fuel to car drivers outside the warehouse in Skelmersdale Lancashire

I suspect you'll find that is a dodgy driver selling the company bought fuel rather then anything sanctioned by the company (In fact if the company found out the driver would be an ex-driver) Fuel isn't cheaper on the continent

I wonder how many times that truck will have been to the dealer with 'excessive fuel consumption' to come back 'No Fault Found'