Irish Haulage Group Calling Changes in Tax Levy

With the new UK road levy now just days old, one of the more prominent haulage industry trade groups in Ireland is calling on that country’s government to revisit its own tax scheme. The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) says Ireland’s already steep levies make it difficult for haulage companies to compete with their UK counterparts. With the addition of the new UK levy, things are made that much worse for Irish companies transporting goods into Northern Ireland.

As a company offering HGV training in County Antrim and other places in Northern Ireland, we completely understand how frustrating it is to have to pay yet another tax to use UK roads. It must be even more frustrating for Irish companies whose taxes are already significantly higher than what we pay in the UK.

Figures referenced by HGV Ireland show the road tax on a six-axle vehicle in Ireland is €4,000 per year. That same road tax in the UK is a mere €750. Now, when Irish haulers go into Northern Ireland they are hit with an additional road levy of up to £10 per day. The extra money could force some of them to stop making deliveries north of the border. The IRHA indicates it is already hearing some grumbling to that effect.

The IRHA wants the Irish government to immediately revise what it calls an ‘outdated road tax regime’ that now puts them at a decided disadvantage in Europe. It believes that Irish haulage companies cannot afford to absorb any more fees or taxes without risking financial viability. We do not disagree.

A Necessary Evil

At the HGV Training Centre, we understand that a certain amount of road-use levies is a necessary evil in order to maintain the infrastructure so vital to the haulage industry. Without money to repair roads and bridges, the entire system would quickly break down. Yet we also understand that excessive taxation is a reality. Perhaps it is time to begin looking for other ways to maintain infrastructure without passing the costs on to companies in the haulage and transport sectors.

While government officials and industry leaders ponder that dilemma, the HGV Training Centre will continue offering commercial driver training throughout the UK. As previously mentioned, we do offer HGV training in County Antrim and across Northern Ireland. In fact, we have more than 45 facilities conveniently located around the UK. There is probably one close enough to you to make commercial driver training convenient.

If you are ready to start training as an HGV driver, you will be happy to know that our fast-paced and intense approach can have you licensed and ready to look for work in a matter of weeks. We will even help your job search by way of our up-to-date database covering thousands of open jobs in the transport and haulage industries. Before summer is out you could be embarking on a brand-new career as a commercial driver. We offer training for HGV, LGVs, coaches, buses and more.