Implications of the UK HGV road user charge for Irish maritime freight transport stakeholders
Road user charging in the European Union has evolved from a mechanism of financing the construction and maintenance of motorways to an instrument for internalising road user costs in line with the polluter pays principle (PPP). The UK introduced a HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicles) Road User Levy Act 2013, which became effective from 1 April 2014. Given Ireland’s geographical location as a peripheral European nation, it has been historically dependent on the use of the British road network (UK land bridge) for exporting and importing goods to and from Europe. The potential impact of this charge on Irish maritime freight transport stakeholders has raised a debate among industry organisations, exporters, policy makers and academia on the extent to which future economic growth may be challenged.