The Road Haulage Association has criticised Bath and North East Somerset Council’s plans to charge hauliers £100 per day to enter a Bath clean air zone.

The council plans to target pre-Euro VI trucks in a bid to reduce emissions. In a significant move the zone takes in a section of the A36 – a primary freight route for the region which effectively bypasses the city.

RHA chief executive, Richard Burnett said: “This will be a disaster for hauliers operating in the region. Not only is the council targeting firms delivering in Bath but they’re punishing companies who use the A36 to move goods elsewhere too.”

The A36 is a significant route connecting Somerset with other parts of the country, but the £100 charges will see lorries displaced along local roads less suited to freight traffic.

“It’s clear that the local authority has no understanding about how the supply chain works,” he continued. “You can’t just make it prohibitive for lorries to use a major route and hope there won’t be consequences.”

He warned that operators of pre-Euro VI trucks avoiding the charges will incur extra miles and hours they can’t absorb.

Bath and North East Somerset Council will submit their final plans to the Government in December.

Road Haulage Association

About the Author: John Loughran