Incremental Pricing * Australia - 'Costly for operators'

Naidu says revenue from incremental pricing may also be used to fix infrastructure bottlenecks. The ATA, however, says the industry should not be forced to pay for funding shortfalls

Sydney,Australia -ATN, by Brad Gardner -6 April 2009: -- The trucking industry may be financially burdened by an incremental pricing scheme, which is being opposed in favour of a fuel-only charging system...The National Transport Commission (NTC) has been told to scrap plans to charge operators for carrying an extra 10 percent mass because it will be costly and lead to overcharging... In its submission opposing incremental pricing, the Australian Trucking Association claims the NTC’s proposal will not deliver greater access even if operators invest time and money adopting the scheme... As an alternative, the ATA suggests fuel-only charging, saying there is a better alignment between use and charge because the latter varies with consumption... According to the submission, road agencies and operators will need to invest in new computer systems to comply with the scheme, which may be to no avail... The NTC’s, Meena Naidu, says there will be fewer trucks on the road, “resulting in lower freight rates, better safety and fewer transport emissions”...