Planned levy for HGV's gets payment system developer

There's been a development when it comes to the new charges planned for HGVs in the UK. Northgate Public Services has been appointed as the organisation that will develop as well as operate a payment system that operators from overseas can use with regards to the HGV levy, reports the Department for Transport (DfT). It's planned that the charge for users, which is time-based, will apply to HGVs that make use of roads in the UK starting April next year. Drivers and operators from overseas are set to be able to buy this levy before they reach the UK through the a purchasing system aimed at foreign operators. They'll be able to do this via phone, on the net and at sales terminals. Meanwhile, hauliers that fail to pay will be able to be spotted through a database linked to the system. Because, legally, the levy is unable to discriminate between overseas EU vehicles and those from the UK, all HGVs are set to be charged. However, vehicles registered here in the UK will have the charge paid with Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), and VED is set to be brought down, meaning that most operators here won't have to pay more overall. Admin costs won't rise either because the levy will get collected via the agency channels that are already in place. "Getting the foreign operator payment system right will be crucial to the success of the levy. The system will be easy for foreign carriers and their drivers to access and straightforward to use," explained Stephen Hammond, the transport minister and Conservative MP. "Its design also sends an important message to those foreign operators who think about avoiding paying. If you don’t pay, or underpay, you will be caught and face a £300 fine," he added. The charge will need to be paid for every HGV of 12 tonnes or more on UK roads and is set to mean that those from overseas will be contributing to costs that their presence on the roads imposes.