HEAVY GOODS VEHICLES

That this House notes that one in seven of the heaviest lorries on UK roads now comes from overseas; recognises that these vehicles contribute nothing towards the costs they impose in terms of road wear and air quality, which in turn gives them an unfair competitive advantage over UK hauliers, who face higher duties; further notes that HGVs from overseas do not always comply with UK road safety standards either in terms of loading capacity or of vehicle inspections; and calls on the Government to introduce a charging mechanism which ensures that foreign operators contribute to the costs their vehicles impose on the UK road network, in addition to introducing a system of collecting information from visiting lorry operators and drivers, in order to improve UK road safety.