NORWAY NEWS ANALYSIS THE NORDIC PAGE

"Foreign Trucks Should Pay to Use Norwegian Roads"

Conservative Party (Høyre)spokesman Øyvind Halleraker suggested that all trucks driving on Norwegian roads should pay to Norway as their numbers are increasing day by day.

Halleraker noted that foreign lorry drivers are competing with the Norwegian mission transporters on Norwegian roads increasingly. He also stated more and more foreign carriers transporting Norwegian goods without paying boom and road tolls.

- Competition is fundamentally good , it provides better utilization of resources and motivate the players to provide the best possible service. Norwegian shipping companies are , however, face a serious competitive problem because they do not compete on equal terms with foreign carriers, said the Conservative Party's transport policy spokesman Øyvind Haller Ylva and continued : - The problems are well known in the rest of Europe, where most countries have gradually introduced national road tolls also for foreign carriers to ensure their own transport companies can compete on fairer ground.

Just before the summer, the Conservatives gave a private motion in Parliament and asked the government to present a case that outlines the proposed solution for the introduction of road tax also for foreign registered vehicles over 3.5 tonnes that is running on Norwegian roads. It was proposed through an annual fee , similar to road tax for the Norwegian-registered vehicles, of major users of the Norwegian roads and a limited fee for occasional users of the Norwegian roads. All foreign- registered heavy vehicles were proposed to be required to have an identification tag or sticker showing that road tax is paid and confirming that the carrier has provided a bank guarantee for any liabilities.

TAGS: Transportation, Høyre, Tax, Toll

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