By Lionel Allorge [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or FAL], from Wikimedia Commons

New tax for trucks in France? Trade unionists outraged by the idea of transport minister

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Elizabeth Borne, French Minister for Transport met last week with trade unionists to talk about the planned mobility law. The document provides for the introduction of a „temporary vignette” for lorries driving on French roads. Another government’s idea to finance the expansion and modernization of infrastructure is taking shape.

First „ecotaxe”, now „temporary vignette” – the unions are sounding an alarm and voice their opposition to the new law, and above all to the introduction of a new type of tax for trucks – reports the French industry portal, TRM24.

Carriers will pay for the renovation of infrastructure

Minister Borne claims that nothing is yet decided and that the bill will now be debated at the Council of State. Still, there is no question of removing the vignette from the text of the project, but rather about the extension of the obligation to pay for carriers who are carrying out passenger transport. Already in September we will find out whether the expected vignette will be included in the French budget for 2019. The unionists are outraged because they think that the government surprised them with the idea of ​​introducing vignettes and there is no time to debate on this issue.

The French government cannot finance the renovation of infrastructure by putting costs on carriers’ shoulders,” comments the French National Road Transport Federation (FNTR) on Twitter.

1000 euro per vehicle

According to the law, the vignette is to be available in three versions: for one day, for a week or for a whole year.

Florence Berthelot, a representative of FNTR, claims that the amount of revenue the government expects annually for vignette payments is 700 million euros. It comes up to almost 1000 euros per vehicle per year (initially the Ministry of Transport estimated the tax amount at 500 euros).

The fee will be proportional to the duration of use of the road network. In addition, the vehicle characteristics, gross vehicle weight (GVW) and the impact of the vehicle on the natural environment and on the infrastructure will be taken into account. CO2 emissions will also be considered due to environmental pollution caused by older trucks.

The vignette is to apply to all vehicles with a GVW equal to or above 3.5 tonnes. The owner of the vehicle is responsible for the purchase and presentation of the vignette. The law also specifies cases when the vehicle is rented or leased.

„If the vehicle is subject to a financial lease, rental agreement or other type of agreement regarding the vehicle being made available, the fee is paid by the user designated in the contract,” states the text of the new mobility law.

Photo: Wikimedia.com/Lionel Allorge/CC BY-SA 3

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