The Road Haulage Association is baffled as to why Midlands Expressway, operators of Birmingham’s M6 toll road, have decided to increase their charges by 20p-50p per HGV depending on the journey made. Charges for night-time journeys remain unchanged.

The increase that was introduced in 2017 saw a continued freeze in the toll for HGVs – a freeze that was of course welcome.

Commenting, RHA chief executive Richard Burnett said: “For many hauliers the M6 toll road has never been the route of choice – they simply can’t afford to use it. They must make every penny count and spending £11 pounds on a one-way journey, let alone using every day, is simply out of the question.

“So why have the Midlands Expressway decided to increase the rate for HGVs now – at a time when the price of diesel has just risen by another two pence per litre – adding over £800 per vehicle to a trucker’s annual operating costs?

“Will an increase of 50p per truck making a daytime journey make that much difference to the toll road’s bank balance? Probably not. But for many small hauliers who have little choice but to pay the toll on a regular basis, it could deter them from using the road altogether.”

Road Haulage Association

About the Author: John Loughran