In its pre-budget report the UK Government has taken a step towards levelling th ...

In its pre-budget report the UK Government has taken a step towards levelling the playing field between British and foreign hauliers by introducing plans to charge foreign vehicles for using UK roads. However, according to the UK Freight Transport Association (FTA), these efforts are ‘now threatened by EU plans to unnecessarily limit the number of hours that lorry drivers can work.’ ‘The government’s charging plans for foreign lorries are good news and a measure the Freight Transport Association has long campaigned for. This scheme will help address the commercial disadvantage which British lorry operators face as a result of diesel duty levels being more than twice the EU average,’ said Simon Chapman, Chief Economist at the FTA. ‘But any benefits of this scheme would be seriously outweighed by a 15% hike in costs which UK companies will face if the EU’s Working Time Directive for lorry drivers is fully implemented. This Directive, which limits working to 48 hours a week, will not affect the French because their companies are already restricted to 35 hours. As a result, UK costs could go up 15% but French costs would remain the same. This means that, whilst French companies may be set to pay £1,000 to enter the UK, any benefit of this measure for UK operators will be massively outweighed by UK costs rising £13,000 per vehicle because of the EU’s Directive.’