HGV Road User Levy Act Becomes Law in 2014
The HGV Road User Levy Act became law last week, the Department for Transport states this is a fairer deal for UK Truckers and Haulage Companies on the whole.
Roads Minister Stephen Hammond points out that most EU states already charge lorries for using their roads, which means that British vehicles have to pay to drive in Europe, while to date foreign lorries have been able to drive in the UK without paying for the wear and tear they cause on the roads.
The new charge is supported by UK businesses and will be introduced in April 2014. The levy will apply to trucks weighing more than 12 tonnes and will be a time-based charge of £10 a day or up to £1,000 a year.
By law, the scheme cannot discriminate between UK-registered vehicles and vehicles from elsewhere in the EU so the charge will apply to all HGVs using our roads but, for the vast majority of UK Haulage Companies and their drivers, this will not mean an increase in costs, because they will be compensated through a reduction in vehicle excise duty.
UK hauliers will pay an annual or a six-monthly charge for each lorry at the same time and in the same transaction as they pay its VED. Foreign hauliers can pay daily, weekly, monthly or annual charges. Non-payment of the charge will be a criminal offence, which could result in a fine.
This is not fair paying GBP 10 per day is too much!!