New Launches
Show Report: CV Show 2012
What a cracking event the 2012 Commercial Vehicle Show turned out to be, thanks in no small part to Ford… Read More
Mitsubishi L200 4x4 Long-Term Test 1
We has just taken delivery of a Mitsubishi L200 4x4 Club Cab for long-term appraisal… Read More
Ford Transit ECOnetic Brief Test
We’ve been putting a SWB 100hp 2.2TDi Euro 5 Transit 280 ECOnetic through its paces… Read More
Renault Kangoo ZE 2011 European Launch
Renault is at the forefront of manufacturers offering a mass produced factory-built electric van… Read More
Fuso Canter 2011 European Launch
Fuso has completely revamped its range of light and heavy truck Canter chassis and chassis crew cabs… Read More
Iveco Daily 2011 European Launch
Iveco has introduced new, latest generation diesels to its Daily range, along with detail changes inside and out… Read More
Ford Transit 2011 European Launch
Ford takes the iconic Transit to the next stage with an all-new range of 2.2-litre Euro 5 diesels… Read More
Volkswagen Crafter 2011 UK Launch
VW’s large panel van has undergone a serious makeover with changes to the front-end styling and the cab interior, as well as new Euro 5 diesels… Read More
Ford Transit Connect Electric Brief Test
We spent a day with the battery-powered Connect to get a better idea of what it’s like to live with in its natural, urban environment. Read More
Mercedes-Benz Vito E-CELL Brief Test
Currently undergoing trials with selected fleet customers in the UK, we managed to get behind the wheel of a battery-powered Vito E-CELL… Read More
Volkswagen Crafter 2011 European Launch
Volkswagen’s Crafter has undergone a midlife makeover and gets a new front-end along with new Euro 5 engines… Read More
Thursday, 03 February 2011 06:56 | 
Written by Keith Fields
Government ministers are to unveil details of a radical road pricing scheme this summer. Foreign trucks are to be charged up to £9 a day to use UK roads with implementation scheduled for April 2014.Currently foreign truck drivers, which account for around 12.5 per cent of those on the roads and make 1.5m trips a year, have a huge advantage over British drivers as they pay no Road Fund Tax (£650 – £1,200 depending on size) or other charges. This means that they dodge around £300m a year in levies according to experts from Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University.
They also have another unfair advantage over UK-based operators as they can fill-up with cheaper diesel before crossing the Channel.
EU legislation means that foreign drivers cannot be singled out for the charge, however, so in effect it means that all trucks will be subject to the new road tax.
Ministers have promised, however, that British operators will be no worse off as other taxes will be reduced accordingly to compensate for the charge. This could be achieved by either reducing Road Fund Tax or cutting Fuel Tax paid by hauliers.
Commenting on the a Road Haulage Association spokesperson said: “Anything which means that foreign operators contribute towards using our roads — they don’t pay a brass farthing at the moment — has to be good news. The devil is in the detail. This is great in theory, but putting it into practice will be a minefield.”
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