Trucker Tax: New Energy Secretary called for higher HGV road tolls in wider campaign against local lorry drivers

4 October 2023, 07:49 | Updated: 4 October 2023, 10:13

By Henry Riley

@HenryRiley1

New Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho is understood to have called for higher HGV road tolls in a campaign against local lorry drivers.

Ms Coutinho lobbied the government for an expensive distance-based road toll as part of a campaign to curb lorry movements in her east Surrey constituency, it has emerged.

The move would have meant that HGVs are charged for the distance they travel instead of the pre-set rate on UK roads.

The new Energy Secretary made the proposal in a meeting with previous Roads Minister Baroness Vere of Norbiton in May 2021, it is understood.

Before the meeting, she is said to have launched a survey, held a public meeting, had meetings with the local council and held a roundtable with HGV operators in a bid to give traffic authorities greater powers to curb HGV activity in her constituency.

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Following Ms Coutinho's campaign, the government brought forward legislation to give local authorities enforcement powers against moving traffic offences involving HGVs. There was also an agreement to explore the proposed distance-based tax on HGVs.

Environmental groups, including Green Alliance, Transport Action Network, Possible, and Transport & Environment have also been calling for distance-based charging to be brought in, with exemptions for zero emissions lorries.

In a recent Department for Transport consultation on a reformed UK HGV levy, the government did not commit to the distance-based levy - but it was not ruled out either.

Distance-based tolls are commonly used across Europe, with it expected to apply in 12 EU member states by 2027.

A similar regime in the UK could see one trip from London to Edinburgh cost a lorry driver nearly £250 in toll fees instead of the maximum daily rate of £10 under the UK HGV levy scheme.

HGVs transport 98 per cent of all the UK’s food and agricultural products and, according to Logistics UK, the HGV driver shortage currently stands at 60,000 drivers.

In response, Labour’s Shadow Paymaster General Jonathan Ashworth told LBC “This just shows that for all their bluster about rowing back on their net zero pledges to ease the burden on families, this Tory Government will happily penalise working people when it affects their own backyard”

“HGV drivers kept our economy moving and shelves stocked at the height of the pandemic and are now paying the price of thirteen years of Tory failures on energy security with record petrol prices at the pump”

“The last thing they need is the Energy Secretary has answer why she so hell bent on clobbering working people”

A source close to Claire Coutinho told LBC: “Claire conducted a survey to get views from her constituents about a large amount of local HGV licenses. She was acting in her capacity as constituency MP to represent the views of the people of East Surrey who were particularly concerned on the effect on roads.

“She engaged with HGV drivers and has also argued in Parliament for better conditions to ensure a growing pipeline unlike the Labour position which was to pull the easy pipeline of immigration.” ‎