User-agent: Mediapartners-Google* Disallow: Trucks World News
Google
 
Loading

Jul 6, 2012

TAX POLICIES * Australia

* Australia - Truck and Bus operators overtaxed by almost $1.3 billion 

Canberra,ACT,Australia -ATA Friday Facts -6 July 2012: -- Truck and bus operators would be overtaxed by almost $1.3 billion in 2012-13 if every government had put in place the NTC’s plan for registration charges, a new report from the Australian Trucking Association shows... The ATA report examines the number of heavy vehicles in Australia and compares it with the figures used by the NTC to calculate the industry’s fuel tax credit and registration charges... On Sunday 1 July, the fuel tax credit that can be claimed by heavy vehicle operators decreased 2.4 cents per litre, from 15.043 to 12.643 cents per litre. In addition, many registration charges increased, although Western Australia, the Northern Territory and, to a lesser extent, South Australia departed from the NTC’s recommendations... The ATA report shows there were 789,489 heavy vehicles registered in Australia as at 31 December 2011...   In contrast, the National Transport Commission told transport ministers in February 2012 there were only 392,453 heavy vehicle combinations in Australia... ATA policy manager, David Coonan, said the result of the underestimate was that truck and bus operators would be overtaxed by almost $1.3 billion in 2012-13 if every government had put in place the NTC’s plan... The ATA report is based on a series of FOI and formal requests lodged with the state and territory registration authorities...

Labels:

posted by Unknown @ 3:45 PM  0 comments

Sep 8, 2011

TRUCKING TAX POLICIES * USA - Can Pay-Per-Mile Driving Programs Work?

Washington,DC,USA -Fast Company, by Ariel Schwartz -Aug 26, 2011: -- Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood, got a spanking when he suggested one, but test programs have received positive responses from drivers. Like it or not, with gas tax revenue declining it may be the only option. .. As vehicle fuel efficiency increases and hybrids become more popular, governments are running into a problem: they're making less money from gas taxes. One solution that has been tossed around for years is the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) program, which charges people fees based on how many miles they drive. It's a good way to both discourage driving and to put the tax burden of paying for roads on the people who use them most...  VMT initiatives have been implemented on a trial basis in the Netherlands, the country implemented a six-month trial in 2009 in the city of Eindhoven.Trial participants didn't actually have to pay, but IBM found that 70% of drivers improved driving behavior by avoiding rush-hour traffic and opting to use highways instead of local roads...  There are a number of ways that a successful VMT fee could be implemented: recording mileage through the odometer, using more Big Brother-like GPS units, only charging trucks (Germany is doing this), or charging vehicles different different amounts based on efficiency (an SUV might be charged more than a Prius)...



Labels:

posted by Unknown @ 4:56 PM  0 comments

May 27, 2011

Road Tax * USA - Based on Usage Considered

New York,NY,USA -Forbes -May 19, 2011: -- Transportation Opportunities Act proposed $300M budget to study miles driven usage tax instead of current fuel surcharge. Proposal withdrawn when Administration considered this an additional tax instead of current policy replacement... Miles could be monitored by GPS and bills sent to driver... Billing could be directly to road providers similar to cell phone billing... Removing the government from allocation of road money from current tax system. Never tried in U.S.; currently being tested by 900K European drivers... Reforming current tax structure urgent; deserves government attention... (Picture from c1.gas2.org: semi-truck)

Labels:

posted by Unknown @ 7:53 PM  0 comments

Apr 25, 2010

TAX POLICY DEBATE * USA - America's Trucking Industry Will Not Support VMT Tax

Says ATA Vice President

Minneapolis,MINN,USA -PRNewswire-USNewswire/News Blaze -April 20, 2010: -- Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) taxes have proven costly to administer, enforce, and to comply with, and the trucking industry will strongly oppose implementing a VMT tax, American Trucking Associations (ATA) Vice President, Bob Pitcher, said today at the Symposium on Mileage-Based User Fees in Minneapolis... Speaking on the Political Leadership and Project Champions panel, Pitcher said the industry regards a VMT tax as a weight-distance tax (WDT). More than 20 states have already repealed WDTs as outdated and ineffective. All but four states currently rely on a combination of truck registration fees and fuel taxes as the most efficient, cost-effective way to raise money to build and repair roads... Until alternatives exist, the traditional system of highway funding through registration fees and fuel taxes remains the most efficient way to fund critical highway projects, including major highway bottlenecks, that will help to reduce traffic congestion and reduce carbon emissions...

Labels:

posted by Unknown @ 8:29 AM  0 comments