08 July 2005
Transport secretary Alistair Darling's decision to drop planned road charging for lorries has drawn fire from both the haulage industry and environmentalists.
The charge would have required drivers to pay per mile and receive a diesel tax rebate, giving lorry and car drivers different tax rates. It would have met the grievance of British hauliers that foreign competitors can fill up with cheap fuel before entering the country.
The scheme could have provided a means to test technology for the government's eventual ambition of road pricing for all vehicles.
Freight Transport Association chief executive Richard Turner said: 'This gives us no present prospect of a solution to our high tax problems in the transport industry.'
Environmental group Transport 2000 spokesman Steve Hounsham said: 'Lorry charging is essential to create a fairer system of taxation and act as a test bed for the ideas well ahead of a general charging scheme for all traffic.'
Darling told Parliament he would consider lorry charging as part of a wider scheme on national road pricing.
PFjul2005
