Foreign hauliers look set to begin paying to use British roads within 18 months, contributing up to £23M a year to the UK. Transport Minister Stephen Hammond confirmed to the House of Commons last week that a levy on driving heavy goods vehicles could be in place by April 2014.

Mr Hammond was taking part in a debate regarding Government’s new HGV Road User Levy Bill which drew support from Members across the political divide. The Bill sets out to remove an inequality whereby UK hauliers pay to use many roads abroad, but foreign lorry drivers do not pay to use highways in Britain.

The levy is designed to be cost neutral for UK hauliers and larger vehicles will pay more based on the damage an HGV causes a road, up to a maximum of £1000 a year or £10 a day. Non payment of the levy will lead to a £5000 fine.

“We have a robust strategy of enforcement,” the Minister said. “Vehicles must pay before using a road in the UK and we can stop any that do not and immobilise them until a fine is paid.”

A private sector company will administer the charging scheme for foreign registered HGVs and an electronic database will log which vehicles have paid, to which UK enforcement agencies will have access. Government consultation documents indicate that lorries from abroad will pay the levy over the internet, at points of sale at or near borders, in ports or on ferries before driving on UK roads. 

Freight Transport Association policy director James Hookham said: “We have supported the idea of a charge on foreign vehicles for many years as a way of addressing at least partly the competitive differences between British registered operators and foreign registered vehicles.”

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