RHA criticises Tory LGV tax plan
Date: 23 August 2007
The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has said that the Conservative Party's plans to tackle congestion if they get into office sounds suspiciously like the abandoned Lorry Road User Charge (LRUC).
The Tories and the Liberal Democrats both recently suggested that LGV freight haulage vehicles should be charged to use the country's roads, but the Conservative plan is akin to the LRUC, the RHA's Roger King said.
He told RoadTransport.com: "Spending on road improvements to reduce congestion should not be delayed to wait for a speculative lorry charging project.
"The Conservative proposal sounds so far like a rerun of the LRUC scheme announced by Gordon Brown in his Pre-Budget Report of 2001 and abandoned apparently on the grounds of impracticality and cost. This decision came after heavy research investment, including £40m on consultancy."
King pointed out that the service provided by freight haulage vehicle operators is efficient, and vital to the UK economy.
He said the industry needs a guarantee from the Conservatives that there will be "no real increase in the level of taxation on UK commercial vehicles for the foreseeable future".
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