Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
#1
Heard a report on BBC radio this morning that all foreign trucks using British roads are to be charged up to £1000 a year. This the government say will level the playing field and give support to British truckers who have to pay even more to use continental roads. Obviously there are tolls on the continental roads..but I dont know if there are any further charges on top of the tolls. Up to now continental trucking use our roads for free.
There was often talk on the forum over the years that a local tax on trucks moving through the port would be good for Dover..a tax on said trucks going into local coffers, but local taxes like that were never on the cards..just imagine it for a moment, twould lead to chaos if others retaliated in like.
It would be useful if any members who are truckers could give us their tuppenceworth on this one. Is it a good idea? But what if people everywhere were to introduce a charge like this across Europe wouldnt it cripple the business..or at the very least ensure that all goods travelling by road (everything!?) would cost much more at the consumer end. In other words we would all end up paying. You and me..
Is this really levelling the playing field or just another way for the government to raise money?
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
#2
a reasonable good idea,but leads to a couple of questions.
1,who collects the dosh.
2,what would it be spent on.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
#3
Brian I imagine the government would introduce some kind of road tax type situation..with a specific marker or disc. They reckon it will raise £20,000,000 per year. Im not sure about the idea myself for fear of the reasons mentioned in post 1..ie. what if everyone does it?
What it would be spent on is anyone's guess. it might come up in the political shows today...new roads minister McLaughlin might show up and tell us if it will be ringfenced.
Guest 676- Registered: 1 Jul 2008
- Posts: 521
#4
In Germany we pay around £10 to travel aprox 100km
Million-to-one chances crop up nine times out of ten.
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,931
#5
Because of EU laws our lorries will have to be charged as well but will get it back via road tax, personally I would have thought the charge should have been higher than £10.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Guest 676- Registered: 1 Jul 2008
- Posts: 521
#6
Jan
Under EU law countries can charge lorries a maximum of 16 euros a day thats why its £10
Million-to-one chances crop up nine times out of ten.
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,931
#7
Thank you Stewart I did not realise that, does that mean if a lorry is here for two days they will be charged £20 or is it it a flat fee of £10 on entering the country, the report I saw did not make it clear.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Guest 710- Registered: 28 Feb 2011
- Posts: 6,950
#8
It's BW-Conservative 'protectionism'. A tax on imports.
The proposed loading filter come lorry park at the port may be left with enough spare capacity for a daily car-boot sale.
Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
#9
paulb,just hope its for road inprovements and not for debt repayment.
Guest 676- Registered: 1 Jul 2008
- Posts: 521
#10
The report I've read says lorries over 38Ton, not many foreign lorries of 44Ton using our roads. Also a maximum of £1000 a year. So I have no idea at this time more reading required. Belgium charge 8 euros (£6.88) per day.
Million-to-one chances crop up nine times out of ten.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#11
i see it as fair play tom, helps equalise things out with road hauliers generally having the same costs.
Guest 710- Registered: 28 Feb 2011
- Posts: 6,950
#12
You are free to see in any light that takes your fancy Howard.
The first reasonable point to be made so far is Stewart's mention of 'maximum of £1k a year'. I suspect that trucking companies do not at present pay an annual sum to the many countries of mainland Europe, more "as and when". Otherwise the idea of a lump-sum payment for using the roads of Britain would be a direct tax on imports.
Then there is the tonne-age issue. Do we have another wizard-wheeze that is set to collect not one bean?
I recall much hand-wringing some years ago about lifting restrictions of tonne-age. All those bridges etc. that are not yet capable of taking such loads would require upgrade/replacement, not to mention the leap in wear-and-tear repair likely through such a move.
Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
Guest 673- Registered: 16 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,388
#13
Sounds like an excellent idea and one which we have been rabbiting on about for many years on this forum. Why should foreign lorries use our roads for free and cause so much wear and tear without having to pay for it as UK transport companies have to do through their taxes? Would appear to be an unfair advantage. When I started working on the ferries some twentyfive years ago, the ratio of UK to foreign lorries was about half and half. Now a UK registered truck is something of a rarity. There are of course additional reasons for that, including the price of fuel and drivers wages.
When outbound from Dover to Dunkerque, there is an announcement on the public address every trip for drivers to obtain their Vignettes in the drivers lounge. This appears to be a tax they have to pay on continental roads so why not a tax for travelling on UK roads to assist in restoring a level playing field? And why have they waited so long to introduce it?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vignette_(road_tax)Guest 687- Registered: 2 Jun 2009
- Posts: 513
#14
It would be so easy to collect any toll, simply ask the ferry/tunnel operators to add the toll to the crossing charge and issue a visible(vignette)tax disc which would display theperiod of time paid for. The companies would receive a commission. By the way there are Towns who impose a Town Tax in addition to tolls.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
#15
In Austria and Switzerland, foreign cars also have to buy a vignette on entry in order to use the motorway system. I once tried driving from Basel to Zurich and back without using the motorway (therefore not having to pay SFr 75 for a vignette) but it took hours! Also entering Austria from Ljubliana in Slovenia you have no choice as you are already on the motorway!
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
