Irish delay38tonnes
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THE IRISH Government is resisting pressure to raise the maximum permitted gross vehicle weight from 32.5 tonnes following the decision by the British Parliament to approve an upper limit of 38 tonnes for five axle vehicles, writes our Irish correspondent.
It has, however, promised to bring maximum permitted weights for three-and four-axle rigid lorries into line with those in the UK.
Most sections of Irish industry had hoped that the new weights in the UK would force a change in the Republic. Given the huge volume of trade between the two countries — 48 per cent of Irish imports come from the UK and 39 per cent of Irish exports go to British markets — and the competitive disadvantages under which the Republic's transport firms suffer in comparison with their neighbours in the UK and Northern Ireland, it was thought that harmonisation was inevitable.
However a Government spokesman said that Ireland would await the outcome of EEC talks on harmonisation or lorry weights. Unfortunately, it is widely believed that there is no immediate chance of agreement on a lorry weight in the EEC, either on 38 or 40 tonnes.
Ironically, Britain's choice of a 38-tonnes limit had a dampening effect in Brussels where officials were hoping to get an agreement on a 40-tonnes limit.
In months of talks behind the scenes the EEC Commission had reached the point where only Italy insisted on sticking to its 44tonne limit. All the other countries might have been prepared to go up or down to 40 tonnes — even the Netherlands, provided special arrangements could be made for its 50-tonne container traffic.
The only consolation for Irish transport operators is that threeand four-axle rigid weights will be coming into line with the UK. At the moment three-axle rigids are permitted a gross weight of 22 tonnes whereas British regulations will permit 24 tonnes depending on the axle spread and plated axle weights.
In Ireland four-axle rigids are limited to 25-tonnes gross irrespective of axle plating or spread, whereas these lorries are designed for 30 tonnes and may operate legally in the UK at this figure. In the past these constraints have forced some operators to opt for articulated units which were not closely suited to their needs.
There is a great deal of cynicism about lorry weights in Ireland. The Irish Construction and Use regulations date from 1963.
Overloading is widespread because of the security commitments of the police force and the lack of weighbridges.
At one stage the number of overloaded Irish lorries using British west coast ports en route to the Continent reached such alarming proportions that the UK's Department of Transport resorted to banning some firms.