As we know the new EcoTax is coming into operation in France on the 1st of October - well thats the latest launch date- but can anyone tell me what the situation with hire vehicles is.
On the web info I have found it has stated its the duty of the hire company to have the vehicle registered with a box unless its a long-term rental (more than 3 months), when it becomes the responsibility of the hirer, but how practical is this going to be. None of the hire companies I have spoken to will have boxes registered to vehicles, just in case they go to France at some point.
Anyone have any clarity to the situation. I hire a lot of vehicles over the course of the year and at the moment have ‘floating’ toll tags and fuels cards for such circumstances, but how is this going to work after October?
toby1234abc:
The Douanes control the fines of 750 euros for non compliance.Are you still at the old airfield Mr Lambert.?
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Yes, read that myself in France Ouest at the weekend. Still doesn’t solve my problems with hire vehicles! Although the units are marked per truck you can change axle configurations, like the other toll boxes so I wonder if the control will be able to pick-up the truck reg or just the axle numbers before you’re stopped and taken to the nearest cash machine.
No, haven’t been on the airfield for a couple of years now, although I do still loose trailers there from time to time when I’ve no more space in the yard.
I think the French have done this tax to get money off the Eastern European traffic that transits through France.They know there is no other way round to get to most of Europe so have got us by the goolies.
Another issue is not spending money for meals in France as they cook in the cab or by the trailer to save money and send it home to their familes.
Sorry i could not assist in the hire situation.What happened to Groupe Mironde?
It’s in French but look at the top right corner for language options
I did have a quick look but couldn’t find any reference to hired vehicles, may be you will spot something
MSG to Mods — You’ve put the wrong site in the stickys
It’s in French but look at the top right corner for language options
I did have a quick look but couldn’t find any reference to hired vehicles, may be you will spot something
Thanks for the info but I’ve been through this site in French and English and I’m still no further forward.
From this extract off the official site your understanding is correct. How a UK firm will get over that I’ve no idea. I know that our firm will continue to spot hire tractors when necessary, and the rental company will add the relevant charge to the bill. Perhaps you could try talking to a rental firm with a strong French base (such as Petitforestier) and see what they advise?
The tax is purely for nationals and some departmental routes, the equivalent of the UK trunk routes.
Autoroutes have their own charging system so they are not included in the Ecotax.
Do you have to use nationals, I’m sure you can find out what routes are chargeable from that site I mentioned. If you are going to Brittany , no need to worry as this area is exempt from the tax also , as there are no motorways there
Thanks for the additional info chaps but I am still none the wiser. The new device will replace the existing toll tags but will have GPS functionality, so as I read it, its a device that will cover both Autoroutes and nationals and the charges for both will depend on location of route, axle config and plated weight for that assigned vehicle.
The info both from France and agents here in the UK is that the hire vehicle will HAVE to have a device for that vehicle if its to be used in France. My problem is that unless you’ve got the truck on a long-term rental, by the time you’ve applied for the box and it comes through, the job is completed and finished with the truck off-hired.
What I think I’ll end-up doing is having a floating box and take the chance of being stopped at a control.
Looking quickly at that DKV box I linked to in error, it looks like there are 2 types of box. A permanently wired in box, similar I suppose to an OBU, or a Sat-Nav sized affair like a Go-Box.
and send it home to their familes.