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Hopefully this discussion proves fruitful.
I will add, that in European countries, road tax is paid, fuel tax is paid, and even then they still charge for motorways and numerous tunnels, such as those passing through the Alps.
There is no reason why European countries should object to Britain doing likewise, such as charging a road/port toll.
The idea of a part of road/port toll revenues going to local authorities is perfectly sane, in line with economic regeneration, and would probably be welcomed by European governments as a good idea for Britain to adopt.
As for hauliers, any increase in transport costs can be passed on to the importers of the transported goods, who in turn can pass on the increased expense to the retailers.
So the hauliers have no reason to complain, they would not lose out.
As I've explained before on the Forum, on the Dover Mercury (2010) and to the DfT, the impact of a port toll (£50 per lorry) would be too fractional to actually affect retail prices, as it would amount, on average, to quarter of a pence per kg of transported goods passing through ports. This is calculating an average of 15-20 tonnes (15,000-20,000 kg) of goods on an HGV trailer.
The alternative is, in order to pay for road facilities (ports, roads etc.), the State will just go on indiscriminately taxing individuals and businesses, because from somewhere the money has to come.
So the pay-to-use idea is by far better, and it is by far fairer.
And providing the Government realises that Localism can only function if local communities also get a share of revenues on Port traffic that directly affects them, then Dover can succeed.
And this is what we need: a fair and reasonable local revenue from the Port on a continuous basis, not by taking the money from DHB revenues, but through a specific Port toll intended as public revenue to be divided between the Treasury and the local communities (Town, District and County).
The same would apply for Shepway with the Channel Tunnel, and for all British ports.
This would be perfectly in line with pay to use tariffs charged by European countries (motorways, tunnels).