• An Irish operator has fallen foul of French Customs
Page 6
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
this week over flagging out, although the company insists it was acting on advice from the trade associations and the Irish authorities. Sean Hearty Transport, based in County Armagh, has several trucks registered and taxed in the Republic of Ireland but has a Northern Irish 0-licence.
Two vehicles travelling from Cork to St Maio were stopped by Customs on the grounds that Hearty's international community authorisations, issued in Northern Ireland, should have come from the Republic of Ireland. The company was fined 2.280 for each vehicle. It says this interpretation of the law will hit a lot of other firms. "There are thousands of operators in the same position as us," says managing director Michael Hearty.
Freight Transport Association road freight policy manager Don Armour and transport lawyer Stephen Kirkbright are surprised at the French Customs' interpretation of the law. "This is the first time I've heard of this," says Armour.