Memorandum by Matthews Great Yarmouth
(RH 20)
1. FUEL DUTY
AND VEHICLE
EXCISE DUTY
FOR A
40T GTW
(2+3) ARTICULATED VEHICLE
AS AT
DECEMBER 1999
| EU Member State | Fuel Duty
| Vehicle
Excise Duty
| Total |
| Austria | £7,653
| £1,909 | £9,563
|
| Belgium | £7,663
| £835 | £8,498
|
| Denmark | £8,312
| £448 | £8,760
|
| Eire | £8,721
| £1,242 | £9,962
|
| Finland | £8,050
| £974 | £9,024
|
| France | £10,078
| £437 | £10,515
|
| Germany | £9,186
| £1,671 | £10,857
|
| Greece | £6,676
| £380 | £7,056
|
| Italy | £10,312
| £570 | £10,882
|
| Luxembourg | £6,680
| £322 | £7,003
|
| Netherlands | £9,142
| £602 | £9,744
|
| Portugal | £6,497
| £277 | £6,774
|
| Spain | £7,130
| £295 | £7,425
|
| Sweden | £8,133
| £1,816 | £9,949
|
| United Kingdom | £19,767
| £5,750 | £25,517
|
2. FINES
It is normal practice for European police when having stopped
a UK vehicle for a possible infringement of their transport laws,
to impose an "On The Spot" Fine.
These fines may only be paid in cash and both the vehicle
and trailer with goods on board will be impounded until arrangements
for the cash to be paid are made.
No such penalties are imposed on Foreign vehicles who are
infringing our transport laws. It has been confirmed that during
1999 in Norfolk and Suffolk a total of 3,000 vehicles were stopped,
500 of which were continental vehicles. Of the 500 vehicles stopped
not one was summonsed.
3. ROAD TOLLS
AND VIGNETTE
In the UK we pay the highest rate of Vehicle Excise Duty
in Europe. When our international vehicles enter another country
they immediately have to pay a fee, (see attached examples) by
way of a daily charge to use the countries roads. In some countries
we have to pay a full years road tax applicable to the country
we are entering, eg Czechoslovakia and Slovakia, even if we are
only in that country for one day. When a foreign vehicle enters
the UK no such fee is applicable.
Once again should the UK wish to adopt a similar policy of
charging foreign vehicles to use our roads it would be self financing.
4. VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
In the UK vehicles by law must be inspected every six weeks.
On the continent vehicles are required to be serviced only twice
a year to the manufacturers specification.
5. VAT
In Spain, Spanish hauliers are only required to pay 50 per
cent of the National rate for their first two years of trading.
6. ALLOWANCES
The Capital allowances on vehicles purchased in Holland are
increased by 25 per cent if environmentally friendly extras are
added eg deflector kits, lighter aluminium wheels etc.
No such incentives are offered to UK hauliers.
Certain European countries offer allowances (such as a lower
VED rate) for hauliers based in an area of high unemployment.
No such incentives are offered to UK hauliers.
7. GENERAL
Being an East Anglian based International Road haulier, it
is upsetting when the road system in this part of the UK is considered
to be of lower quality than in countries such as Poland particularly
when we compare the level of VED (Road Tax) that we have to pay
for each of our fleet of vehicles, to the rate of VED a Polish
haulier would pay.
8. SUGGESTIONS WE
WOULD WISH
THE COMMITTEE
TO CONSIDER
— Introduction of a Vignette system for Foreign
operators on UK roads.
— Increase the VED discount for vehicles meeting
the required exhaust emission standards.
— Should the maximum lorry weights be increased
(as is expected) to 44 tonnes the VED rate should reflect the
fact that they pose no greater burden on the road than existing
38 tonne vehicles.
— To reintroduce the Limited mileage concession
(discontinued in 1994) by amending the definition of a "Works
Truck" so as to include their use for the movement of trailers.
— To consider the introduction of on the spot fines
for foreign based vehicles with police given authority to impound
vehicles until fine paid (see Note 2).
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