Will the LRUC really be revived?
When the idea of a Lorry Road User Charge (LRUC) was first proposed in 2002, the idea was generally welcomed by the industry. After all, anything that would uncouple fuel duty for the road haulage industry from that paid by the public and charged foreign trucks to use the UK's road had to be a good thing and it would level the playing field for UK operators and their foreign counterparts.
Had the Government pressed ahead with these plans, the LRUC was due to come into force this year. It would have meant that, despite soaring fuel costs and the threat of a relaxation of cabotage restrictions, the cost of running a truck in the UK would have been the same for all operators - whatever their nationality. However, three years ago, the LRUC was abandoned because it was deemed to be too expensive and too complicated to implement.
