Large Fines for Large Trucks
Proposed plans by the European parliament will see all trucks over 3.5T charged 29 Euro cents per Kilometer to cover the pollution exert to the environment.
The Lorries affected will be those in the proximity of ans-European transport (TEN-T) networks and all motorways.
The updated ‘’Eurovignette’’ directive will see a rise from around 15- 25 cents per kilometer to the new legislation.
Member states can also choose to charge up to 175 per cent more during five hour peak periods to help tackle congestion on certain routes.
Transport companies with greener fleets will be exempt from the proposal until 2014, with the incentive in all logistic companies operating greener transport.
The bid to increase the usage of environmentally friendly transport will engage the industry in less polluting logistical movement.
One question to be raised is where will the extra charges be dispersed?
The International Road Transport Union (IRU) criticised the EU for keeping this commitment to redirect the funding to transport voluntary.
“Today’s vote of the European Parliament de facto fails to green road transport by not making mandatory the earmarking of the Eurovignette revenues and only creates a new tax on already heavily taxed road transport services,” it said in a statement.
The new plans have not yet been actively implemented, but could provide some flexibility to current charging methods once they commence if correctly mapped and accommodate allowing some fairness for the UK Haulier industry.