HGV Road User Levy will not be enough to protect UK operators
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NEWS THAT the government is getting ready to introduce a charge for foreignregistered vehicles (‘Foreign lorries to pay for use of UK roads by 2014’ – CM 23 October) is a big victory for UK logistics, and the government should be commended for the proposed bill – but more still needs to be done to protect British hauliers.
The £1,000-per-year/£10-per-day charge will level what has become a dangerously unbalanced playing field for UK operators, and it is good to see both the Freight Transport Association and Road Haulage Association giving the bill the credit it deserves. However, there are deeper underlying issues that the levy will not solve.
We still face a major problem from a small number of foreign hauliers who operate with flagrant disregard for the high standards of safety required by UK operators and are, to all intents and purposes, untouchable under current UK regulations. These foreign rogue hauliers may be few and far between, but their actions have far-reaching consequences; not only do they put people’s lives at risk, their lax standards of safety and efficiency mean they are able to undercut UK firms by a huge margin – taking vital business away from British businesses.
With the new levy, the government has taken a step towards giving UK logistics the support and regulatory backing it needs.
Now it needs to ensure that all drivers on our roads, regardless of where they are from, are operating to the same standards of safety and efficiency that we all adhere to. Only this can create a truly level playing field.
Andy Downton MD, CM Downton