The Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI ) has called on the Government to clarify its position on the use of commercial vehicles for social and domestic purposes.
Light commercial vehicle sales continue to lag well behind car sales and this remains a concern as this is a key sector for the economy generally.
SIMI is asking the Government to clarify the situation regarding how road tax should be applied to commercial vehicles.
SIMI director general Alan Nolan said: “There has been a lot of misleading and inaccurate information in the press of late and motorists are extremely worried that they may now face a hike in road tax fees for their commercial vehicle.”
Nolan continued, “Aside from the many tradespeople, small business owners, and farmers who would be hit extremely hard by this, there are thousands of other delivery drivers who benefit from limited use of their firm’s work vehicle in the evenings and at weekends and many families rely on these vehicles as an essential means of transport. Any change to this would impact unnecessarily on the lives of some very vulnerable people.”
New car sales continue to show improvement
Meanwhile SIMI official registration statistics for August, show that new car sales continue to show improvement but commercial vehicle sales are less buoyant.
Highlights of the statistics include: 79,145 new cars sold so far this year; 50 per cent increase on last year; 11,766 scrappage scheme cars; 893 new light commercial vehicle sales so far this year; a 28 per cent increase on last year.
Commenting on the figures, director general of SIMI, Alan Nolan said: “Eight months into the year and the trend in new car sales is continuing with a steady increase in sales month on month. The improvement in sales is having a very positive impact on employment in our sector.”
“The commercial vehicle sales continue to lag somewhat behind car sales and this remains a concern as this is a key sector for the economy generally.”
“It is all the more reason therefore that issues such as the recent Commercial Vehicle Road Tax debate should not be allowed to add concern and confusion into an already difficult market.”
