Road hauliers expressed their anger this Monday morning. In their sights is the heavy goods vehicle tax desired by the European Community of Alsace.
Operation snail this Monday, October 7 in the morning in Alsace. To express their concern, dozens of truckers slowed down on the Alsatian highways. Two convoys, each made up of around fifty heavy goods vehicles, set off at around 9 a.m. from Mulhouse and Strasbourg, with the aim of reaching Colmar, relay France 3. “No to a new tax”, could we read on certain banners, note The Cross.
The reason for their anger? The future heavy goods vehicle tax (R-pass) desired by the European Community of Alsace (CEA) for 2027. The latter must be voted on on October 21, with the key: a new motorway toll. Concretely, the CEA wishes to tax heavy goods vehicles weighing more than 3.5 tonnes which cross the region from north to south, with the objective of “rebalancing heavy goods vehicle transit traffic”.
Because the region estimates that many trucks would make the detour via Alsace in order to avoid the higher prices charged on German highways since the end of 2023 and the increase in the fee across the Rhine. In a few figures, mentioned by The Parisian and France 3, the number of heavy goods vehicles passing through Alsace has increased by 18% in the region, since Germany revised its prices upwards, with even up to 30% more heavy goods vehicles in last August and September.
Towards new demonstrations?
But the detractors of this new tax point out its harmful effects for local businesses and the economy. For them, a new tax means reduced margins, less competitive French companies, consequences for employment and even bankruptcies. What’s more, they argue that this tax, lower than across the Rhine – 15 centimes per km in France compared to 34 across the Rhine – should in no way motivate foreign trucks to return to Germany.
At midday on Monday, despite the mobilization of transporters in the morning, the postponement of the vote, scheduled for 14 days, was refused. Enough to arouse the ire of the demonstrators who have already promised at least one new day of action.