Budget 2021: HGV road user levy extended until 2023

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced that the HGV road user levy will be suspended until 2023.

Speaking at the Budget, the Chancellor revealed that the two-year freeze, due to expire in August 2022, will now be extended for a further 12 months into the following year.

He also revealed the government is pausing vehicle excise duty for HGVs, and is allocating £32.5m to enhance services at lorry park facilities.

The funds will be used to improve showers, toilets and security at existing sites across the country.

The government is looking lure people into the profession to resolve driver shortages across the country with Transport Secretary Grant Shapps already introducing temporary visas to try and manage the driver shortage.

Sunak also warned that the economy was still recovering from the pandemic and this would compromise supply chains.

He said, “Having been shut down for almost a year, it takes time for factories to scale up production, for container ships to move goods to where demand is, for businesses to hire the people they need.”