UK charging foreign truck drivers

bear1

Just read this:

http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0401/605855-hgv-levy-to-drive-on-ni-and-uk-roads-takes-effect/

Any truck over 12 tonnes will be charged 10 pounds to drive in the UK.
Don't think it's a particularly good idea as it will possibly start to hurt their imports.
Any truckers on here who care to give their two cents?

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo

Keep on trukin' in the UK.

That's a song yeah?

Uriel.

Can't see that standing up in a case to the ECJ.
Making it more difficult to trade and discrimination against service/product providers from other Member States - barriers to free movement of goods.

Another f-you to the EU by the Brits it seems.

Herb Powell

April Fool's Day is so boring in the age of the internet

bear1

Herb Powell wrote: »

April Fool's Day is so boring in the age of the internet

It's legit from what I can find:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/foreign-truck-firms-set-to-pay-to-use-uk-roads-for-first-time

http://www.dttas.ie/sites/default/files/features/Roads/English/Important%20Information%20on%20New%20UK%20Road%20User%20Levy%20for%20HGVs/Notice%20re%20introduction%20of%20UK%20road%20user%20levy.pdf

http://www.handyshippingguide.com/shipping-news/road-haulage-operators-must-advise-foreign-partners-of-new-truck-levy-says-freight-association_5319

Mint Sauce

Herb Powell wrote: »

April Fool's Day is so boring in the age of the internet

I'm not so sure its an April Fool either. Heard something similar on the BBC news a little while ago as well.

orangesoda

I used to know a few truckers, but they are in the knick now for drugs so they are.

Anyway, serves you tight southerners right

Sir Arthur Daley

Uriel. wrote: »

Can't see that standing up in a case to the ECJ.

Case make tractors so they remain unaffected.

bumper234

Am in the UK at the moment and asked a family member about this. Apparently the British government have decided to charge foreign trucks £10 a day to "level the playing field" because of the massive tolls that British truckers have to pay on European roads.

fleet_admiral

Its not an april fool, its been in the news for a while now. I wish they would just do the rest of europe a favour and leave

bear1

Do these tolls only apply if using the motorways? Or is it every type of road?

ThisRegard

Herb Powell wrote: »

April Fool's Day is so boring in the age of the internet

You're the fool in this case though.

Fratton Fred

bumper234 wrote: »

Am in the UK at the moment and asked a family member about this. Apparently the British government have decided to charge foreign trucks £10 a day to "level the playing field" because of the massive tolls that British truckers have to pay on European roads.

That's pretty much it. A Dutch lorry delivering goods to Dublin can enjoy 1200 kilometres of free motorway from Dover to Holyhead and back. Try driving 600 kilometres in Europe without coming across a toll.

bear1

Fratton Fred wrote: »

That's pretty much it. A Dutch lorry delivering goods to Dublin can enjoy 1200 kilometres of free motorway from Dover to Holyhead and back. Try driving 600 kilometres in Europe without coming across a toll.

Good point there.
Driving in France is bloody expensive, the same as Italy.
Think I paid over 100e in tolls from Cherbourg to Rome. Add the fuel costs and it's crazy.
Can't even imagine how much for a truck!

The Backwards Man

Fratton Fred wrote: »

That's pretty much it. A Dutch lorry delivering goods to Dublin can enjoy 1200 kilometres of free motorway from Dover to Holyhead and back. Try driving 600 kilometres in Europe without coming across a toll.

I think it's something like €110 to Berlin in tolls for a truck.

This charge is aimed at Dutch and French hauliers that do a fortune of work up and down England, not so much at the Irish ones who have been caught up in it as well.

Karl Stein

What's sauce for the goose and all that.

ardmacha

Herb Powell wrote: »

April Fool's Day is so boring in the age of the internet

I don't know, it is still amusing when people can't tell the difference!

kippy

ardmacha wrote: »

I don't know, it is still amusing when people can't tell the difference!

The thing that makes this look like an April fool is the lack of detail and indeed the lack of a plan on how to enforce this.

bear1

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I think it's something like €110 to Berlin in tolls for a truck.

This charge is aimed at Dutch and French hauliers that do a fortune of work up and down England, not so much at the Irish ones who have been caught up in it as well.

The Irish one's will only be allowed toll free on routes which straddle the border.
Apart from that it's full whack I'm afraid.

kippy wrote: »

The thing that makes this look like an April fool is the lack of detail and indeed the lack of a plan on how to enforce this.

On the first link I believe it is said that at the beginning it will be random stopping and then in the future an ANPR type system.

kippy

bear1 wrote: »

The Irish one's will only be allowed toll free on routes which straddle the border.
Apart from that it's full whack I'm afraid.



On the first link I believe it is said that at the beginning it will be random stopping and then in the future an ANPR type system.

So almost impossible to enforce based on current information.
Randomly charging foreign platted truck drivers a tenner is surely completely daft.
ANPR? Really?

This works on the continent because every user of the roads system is charged and goes through pre build toll areas.

bear1

kippy wrote: »

So almost impossible to enforce based on current information.
Randomly charging foreign platted truck drivers a tenner is surely completely daft.
ANPR? Really?

This works on the continent because every user of the roads system is charged and goes through pre build toll areas.

I'd say at some point they will just introduce vignette systems at border entries like in most countries.
Easier and quite difficult to avoid being an island and all.

kippy

bear1 wrote: »

I'd say at some point they will just introduce vignette systems at border entries like in most countries.
Easier and quite difficult to avoid being an island and all.

Yeah, that's probably the most practical option, however there'd be a tonne of work involved in getting that up and running.

bear1

kippy wrote: »

Yeah, that's probably the most practical option, however there'd be a tonne of work involved in getting that up and running.

Agreed. I'm curious what time of impact it will have on their economy.

kippy

bear1 wrote: »

Agreed. I'm curious what time of impact it will have on their economy.

I doubt it'll happen to be honest - there will be a lot of pressure on them for it not to happen.
It's fair enough if EVERY driver is charged in my opinion but NOT if it is limited to "Foreign" trucks only and the only way that will happen is if they retrospectively put tools on their roads, which will not fly either.

I'm trying to think of something that British truck drivers get cheaper on the continent that their foreign counterparts pay more for in Britain that would even out the differences in travelling on the roads but struggling at the moment.

It's a daft concept.

everdead.ie

Fratton Fred wrote: »

That's pretty much it. A Dutch lorry delivering goods to Dublin can enjoy 1200 kilometres of free motorway from Dover to Holyhead and back. Try driving 600 kilometres in Europe without coming across a toll.

I can understand that they pay less to travel on British roads than they do on French etc roads but the only difference being that all haulage companies including domestic ones are subject to the tolls which means I think that this would definitely be open to being challenged as it gives British Haulage firms an advantage in their Domestic market?

sillyoulfool

everdead.ie wrote: »

I can understand that they pay less to travel on British roads than they do on French etc roads but the only difference being that all haulage companies including domestic ones are subject to the tolls which means I think that this would definitely be open to being challenged as it gives British Haulage firms an advantage in their Domestic market?

How?
they pay thousands in road tax to use UK roads while foreign trucks pay nothing, there is nothing anti-competitive or illegal in this measure.

everdead.ie

sillyoulfool wrote: »

How?
they pay thousands in road tax to use UK roads while foreign trucks pay nothing, there is nothing anti-competitive or illegal in this measure.

French haulage companies pay road tax in France as well as tolls etc. British companies don't pay French road tax unless the vehicle is registered there.

RustyNut

sillyoulfool wrote: »

How?
they pay thousands in road tax to use UK roads while foreign trucks pay nothing, there is nothing anti-competitive or illegal in this measure.

I will have to pay Irish motor tax plus any road tolls plus this new uk tax to do a return trip from Dublin To Belfast. A Belfast haulier pays only UK tax and no Irish tax on the same journey giving him a commercial advantage over me.

road_high

Thought with our renewed love for eachother we'd get an exemption...the Scots on the other hand

bear1

kippy wrote: »

I doubt it'll happen to be honest - there will be a lot of pressure on them for it not to happen.
It's fair enough if EVERY driver is charged in my opinion but NOT if it is limited to "Foreign" trucks only and the only way that will happen is if they retrospectively put tools on their roads, which will not fly either.

I'm trying to think of something that British truck drivers get cheaper on the continent that their foreign counterparts pay more for in Britain that would even out the differences in travelling on the roads but struggling at the moment.

It's a daft concept.

Trying to think of something as well, maybe fuel?

RustyNut wrote: »

I will have to pay Irish motor tax plus any road tolls plus this new uk tax to do a return trip from Dublin To Belfast. A Belfast haulier pays only UK tax and no Irish tax on the same journey giving him a commercial advantage over me.

This is also a good point, one which can put weight behind the point of having an impact on imports.
The fact that it's also only foreign trucks which get charged is a bit of a slap as in the EU all trucks/cars/buses whatever are charged the same rate i.e. an Italian truck driving in Italy is charged the same as a French truck driving in Italy.