The Department for Transport (DfT) is understood to be considering levying a tax to help fight congestion and curb toxic emissions rising from increased online shopping deliveries. Lockdown has sparked significant growth in home deliveries and customers may now face a tax on all deliveries in the future.
Consumers are unlikely to support any attempt to hit them with higher charges, with many citing that it is less harmful to the environment to have goods delivered to their homes as part of an efficient localised run than it is for customers to clock up miles driving to shopping centres. The Dft argues that a tax may also help to reduce the volume of returns traffic, its report said: “Explicitly passing the true cost of delivery and return to the customer could reduce unnecessary over-ordering.” A figure of £2 per shipment has been suggested and would, in part, go to councils who are collecting and recycling packaging generated by deliveries.
The DfT currently offers grants to companies buying electric vans to replace diesel models which many courier companies are taking up for high-density urban use.
A public consultation has been promised by DfT before any final action is confirmed.
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