Foreign trucks entering France would be confined to toll roads as a way to pay for highway maintenance if French Environment Minister Segolene Royal has her way, according to Shipping Gazette.
"When a foreign truck enters France, having filled its tank in Belgium, crosses the whole of the country, using roads paid for by French taxpayers and subsequently fills up again in Spain, it is not paying any taxes on fuel or motorway tolls," she said.
"French trucks are paying for the upkeep of the roads, she said. "One must make everyone pay, especially those who today don't contribute anything."
Against is the EU's European Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas with his spokesmen saying it would be impossible to put in place a "discriminatory" and anti-competitive system between French and foreign truckers.
As opposition grows against a French domestic heavy goods vehicle tax Ms Royal says the proceeds from her scheme generated by a greater number of foreign trucks using toll motorways would be reserved for the funding of transport infrastructure.
Since April 1, foreign truckers are now charged to use UK roads through a HGV road user levy.
This was introduced to counterbalance the costs incurred by UK truck drivers working in Europe in the form of tolls and levies when delivering goods abroad.
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