Protests in the United Kingdom

This is seldom enough to be mentioned: United Kingdom hauliers recently held a protest in London causing severe inconveniences for westbound road users of the highway A40. This arises from a Government announcement to add a £0.02 per litre fuel tax. Hauliers claim the withdrawal of this initiative and call for an “essential user” rebate. This request seems all the more legitimate for hauliers since the United Kingdom has the highest gas tax rate: €0.72 per litre, whereas the European average is about €0.35 per litre (in June 2007, prices were €0.43 per litre in France, €0.47 per litre in Germany, €0.43 per litre in Slovakia).

Professional organisations and logistics companies utter their regrets regarding disruptions that occurred on the highway A40, but said all the same that fuel price escalation has a big impact on their activity. Most companies, among the biggest ones, reached agreements with their clients and negotiated how to pass on overcosts generated by fuel price increases.

Longer and heavier trucks to offset fuel price escalation?

In the Netherlands, this has just been done! Following trials run in November 2007 and series of specific studies, the Netherlands Government recently allowed all road carriers to operate longer and heavier trucks (length limit of 25.25 metres, weight limit of 60 tons), on the whole Dutch trunk roads and motorways network. Strictly speaking, these “oversized” vehicles are also allowed on local roads to access business facilities, not exceeding a distance of 20 kilometres from the authorised network, and only if local authorities previously gave their agreements.

This authorisation is acknowledged to result in more productivity for hauliers. Moreover, the average fuel consumption per ton transported is quite lower, meaning a potential reduction of CO2 emissions. For information, in Sweden, Finland and some road sections in Denmark and Belgium, such trucks were already allowed. Other countries, such as France, the United Kingdom or Germany, are more unconfident, or even reluctant, to allow longer and heavier trucks to be operated on their road networks.

One of the biggest issues is the competition with rail. While French Government is promoting, with the Environment Roundtable resolutions, the use of alternative modes, and that it is very eager to see SNCF developping its freight activities, why would it allow heavier and longer trucks, which would undeniably gain additional market shares over rail?

A tax on road hauliers on the French road network by 2011

Starting 2011, French hauliers will be charged for using the whole trunk road network, and no longer only highways. This decision was publicly made after the Environment Roundtable (Grenelle de l’Environnement), held late 2007. From Government’s viewpoint, the concept is quite simple: making pay those who generate pollution; road transport being acknowledged to account for 40% of CO2 emissions.

By December 31, 2010, an experiment will be run in the East of France (Alsace region). Trucks over 12 tons will be charged not only on trunk road network, but also on local roads likely to experience a big traffic shifts. The expected range of the tax rate will be between €0.15 and €0.20 per kilometer per axle. When the scheme will be enforced nationwide, this range will move to €0.05 to €0.30 per kilometer per axle. Also, even though discussions are still held about it, the scheme will require from trucks to be equipped with a specific electronic device on board, calculating position and itineraries, and thus, the tax that will be charged.

References

  • Article: Making their points, IFW, May 30, 2008: paper edition
  • Article: Grenelle 2 : la taxe PL se précise, Infrastructures et Mobilités n°78 p. 5, May 2008: paper edition

References from the Transport Information Group

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