The Road Haulage Association warns that hauliers and other businesses will be at risk after Leeds City Council announced government approval for their clean air zone plans.
Around half the lorry fleet is pre-Euro VI and will have to pay £50 per day to enter the zone in a move that RHA chief executive, Richard Burnett branded ‘punitive’.
He said: “Charging pre-Euro VI HGVs to enter the clean air zone is simply a punitive tax on the industry sector that Leeds relies on to maintain its economy, and local businesses will inevitably be put at risk.
“The goods still have to be delivered and there’s a strong possibility that there will be a considerable increase in van traffic. However, it takes approximately 20 vans to move the same amount of goods as one HGV so how will that improve air quality? This is yet another example of the government and local authorities using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.”
