France’s decision to introduce HGV charges from 2011 has been given a luke warm reception by environmental campaigners.
Both houses of the French parliament approved the environmental lorry charge earlier this month and it is scheduled to come into force in 2011.
France already has motorway tolls levied by private operators, which cover around a third of kilometres driven in France. The new charge will mean lorries will have to pay to use two thirds of the network, but there may be some regional roads, which will not be affected. Certain regions, notably Bretagne and Auvergne, are lobbying for reduced levels of the tax or even total exemptions.
The aims of the scheme include shifting freight transport away from road and air, and achieving an overall reduction in CO2 from road freight transport to 1990 levels by 2020.
Late concessions and a provision for ‘earmarking’ revenues for road infrastructure have dampened environmental campaigners’ enthusiasm for the scheme, according to environment lobby group Transport & Environment (T&E).
T&E director Jos Dings said: ‘France will join a growing group of countries that recognise the benefits distance-based road charging can bring both environmentally and economically. Existing schemes have shown that when charging is introduced, pollution goes down and the efficiency of the road freight sector goes up. It’s clearly a win/win.’
However, environmental NGOs are angry that the revenue from the new charge will be used exclusively for infrastructure building. That is seen as a concession to the road industry, but has been criticised by environmentalists as creating a ‘vicious circle’. A French government agency was created last year with specific responsibility for financing transport infrastructure.
The new tax has been set at rates between €0.02 and €0.20, averaging €0.12, differentiated according to the Euro standards for lorry air pollution emissions. The rates can be reviewed every year when the French national budget is approved.
