HARTFORD, Conn. (WTIC Radio)—A highway usage fee on heavy commercial trucks awaits Governor Ned Lamont's signature after the state legislature passed the bill early Wednesday.
Under the measure, large commercial trucks passing through Connecticut will have to pay a fee that varies based on the truck's weight.
The fee ranges from 2.5 cents per mile for trucks weighing between 26,000 and 28,000 pounds to 17.5 cents per mile for trucks weighing over 80,000 pounds.
Proponents contend that the fee will rebuild damaged roads and boost the state's transportation sector, but opponents are concerned that the fee will do more harm than good.
Motor Transport Association of Connecticut President Joseph Sculley said his main concern is that the tax will be ultimately paid by in-state trucking companies, since out-of-state companies will look for new routes to avoid it.
Also, Sculley said state lawmakers admitted the fees will be implemented through the honor system, meaning there will be no repercussions for out-of-state trucks who drive through without reporting the mileage and paying the fee.
"While designed to capture revenue from out-of-state trucks, in reality, it'll do the opposite," Sculley said. "We won't get the money from out-of-state trucks. We'll just be taking more from our in-state businesses."
Sculley explained that he's concerned the tax will not only fail to generate the projected $90 million a year, but that it will also eventually fall on the shoulders of retail customers.
According to Sculley, many members of the association have expressed that they'll have no choice but to raise their prices should the bill pass the governor's desk.
"They ran the numbers. It'll cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. They don't have that extra money just sitting around, so they will charge their gas station customers more, their grocery store customers more and so on and so forth. Those establishments, in turn, will very likely pass those costs onto retail consumers," he said.
The measure includes an exception for trucks transporting milk to or from a dairy farm. However, Sculley said this is just an indication that the fee is not meant to cover road repairs since dairy trucks operate at about 100,000 pounds.
"It's just a money grab to make up for fiscal irresponsibility involved with the special transportation fund," he said.
Supporters of the bill maintain that the fee will benefit the state by asking those who do the most damage on Connecticut roads to pay for it.
If the bill gets Governor Ned Lamont's signature, the highway use fee will be in effect starting January 1, 2023.
