Haulier's prison protest
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AN IRISH owner-driver recently chose a prison sentence rather than pay a fine for not possessing a road haulage licence plate.
Tipperary-based Willie Colville was protesting against what he considers to be the closed shop operated by licensed hauliers and the semi-state transport company Coras lompair Eireany, under the Republic's merchandise licensing system.
The haulier left the dole queue some years ago with the help of his brother who gave him a loan to buy a lorry and set up in business carrying sand, gravel and cement. Mr Colville claims that he had been scrupulously careful to ensure that his vehicle had always complied with the statutory requirements relating to safety, insurance and taxation and that he was properly qualified heavy goods driver.
The one obstacle was gaining a licence plate which could only be acquired by purchasing a licence on the open market or hiring a plate from either CIE or a licensed haulier. Mr Colville did not have the capital to invest in a licence and objected on principle to paying a percentage for the privilege of using a plate.
He attacked what he described as "armchair hauliers" people who simply hire out their licences. "Provided you have got the money to purchase such a, licence, you can make easy money by the simple expedient of leasing out the licences at a price to individuals," said Mr Colville.
"I am not prepared on principle to live for ever at the discretion of such operators or to pay them exorbitant sums," he said.
Mr Colville's complaint arises from a measure introduced by the Irish Government in the 1978 Road Transport Act which was designed to encourage the haulage sector to expand but which has back-fired. This was an arrangement whereby the holder of one of the country's 84 Merchandise (Existing Carrier's) licences who does not operate sufficient vehicles can take full advantage of the number of vehicles he is authorised to operate on his licence by hiring the use of additional vehicles with or without a driver. This facility is used legitimately by some operators.
However, in practice, a situation has also grown up where in many cases the holders of merchandise licences, with spare vehicle capacity on a licence, are charging other operators for the facility to plate a vehicle to carry for reward on their own behalf. This practice, referred to in the industry as "plate-renting", is illegal and has added to the complexities of enforcing the Road Transport Acts.
Mr Colville was released after a brief spell in Dublin's Mountjoy Prison and Shelton Abbey Open Prison in County Wicklow when members of his family and friends paid his fine.