Extra costs threaten haulage
The Irish Road Haulage Association wants to impose a fuel surcharge to offset rising fuel costs, and food processors across Europe say that new pollution charges for heavy goods vehicles could distort competition and shove up retail food prices.
There was political agreement by EU transport ministers last October to make haulage firms pay for the air and noise pollution caused on the roads by their lorries, and they recently agreed to allow member states charge extra road tolls and even introduce measures to reduce lorry traffic during rush hours— Italy and Spain voted against and Ireland, the Netherlands and Portugal abstained.
