Haulage firms in the Republic of Ireland have demanded they be exempt from a proposed roads levy in Northern Ireland.

This is according to the Irish Journal, which reported transport companies will have to pay £1 per day for a transit journey when the new tax comes into force in April. The alternatives, they say, will be too time-consuming and costly, meaning they will have little choice but to absorb these charges.

Members of the Irish Road Haulage Association (IHRA) have appealed to environment minister Phil Hogan to do something to help the situation. They are calling on him to develop a system that reimburses logistics firms in the Republic every time they have to pay the charge. 

In addition, a spokesman for the IRHA advised the group was unhappy that Hogan appeared to have known about the new tax for years, but has failed to do anything to address the potential issues. He added: "They [haulage companies] need to take a stand otherwise you'll have the whole Irish fleet registering in the UK. You'll lose 4,000 drivers."

Firms that decline to pay the new charge every time they cross the border will be subject to a £1,000 charge each year.