Peter Quantrill
The British International Freight Association (BIFA) – www.bifa.org – is seeing a considerable amount of enquiries about the charge, which will be levied on all lorries weighing 12 tonnes or more to use the UK road network from April 1, 2014.
The levy is being introduced by the new HGV Road User Levy Act 2013 and from April 1, 2014, UK registered vehicles will pay the levy alongside their vehicle excise duty (VED).
Vehicles registered outside of the UK will need to pay the levy before entering the UK and using the road network.
When BIFA initially highlighted the new levy to its members last year, its main focus was to advise the changes that it would have for them as truck operators.
Now, in light of an increasing number of requests for information from its members anxious about the possible impact that this legislation will have on overseas truckers, the trade association for UK freight forwarders has prepared additional guidance for members to provide to any non-UK haulage sub-contractors that they use to help explain the new rules.
Peter Quantrill, BIFA Director General, comments: “The guidance basically explains to those sub-contractors that on April 1, 2014, the UK will be introducing a new time-based user charge for Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV) which ensures that for the first time foreign HGVs using the UK road network will contribute to the cost of maintaining it.
“The charge is aligned with EU legislation regarding road charging, often referred to as a Eurovignette, and is based upon vehicle weights and axle configuration. There are seven levy bands, which align with the UK’s domestic VED bands.
“An independent company has been awarded the contract to develop and manage payments made by foreign operators. The aim is to allow foreign truck operators or drivers to purchase the levy in advance of entering the UK via the Internet, telephone or terminals. The system will create a database to enable the identification of hauliers that have not paid.
“We are encouraging BIFA Members to make any overseas trucking company to which they sub-contract aware of the introduction of this levy.”
