A new charge for heavy goods vehicles registered outside the UK and Northern Ireland to drive on UK roads, could impact Irish food businesses seeking to make inroads into the British market.
Introduced yesterday, lorries weighing more than 12 tonnes will be charged a levy of £10 to drive on UK roads, with the levy capped at £1,000 per year. Failure to pay carries a penalty of £300.
The levy was introduced to 'level the playing field' for UK truck drivers, who have to pay a number of tolls when driving across Europe.
The new levy is particularly expected to impact hauliers located close to the Northern Ireland border, where the levy will be enforced by the Driver and Vehicle Agency.
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