The RHA (Road Haulage Association) has criticised the government’s plan to decarbonise UK truck fleets.
The association said that while it supports decarbonisation, the new plan is “unrealistic and short on detail.”
The plan, which was released last week after months of delay, outlines proposals to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel HGVs and buses, in a bid to end the sale of non-zero emission HGVs 26 tonnes and under by 2035 and those over 26 tonnes by 2040.
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The organisation added that proposed alternative HGVs do not exist yet, and the plan does not account for the expense of the new vehicles to SMEs.
“For many haulage companies there are fears around cost of new vehicles and a collapse in resale value of existing lorries,” RHA chief executive Richard Burnett said.
“The problem is even worse for coaches, which are more expensive to buy and have longer lifecycles.”
“SMEs ensure the goods and services consumers demand are delivered affordably and on time.
“These are ordinary people without deep pockets who want to do the right thing.”
