Protests in Ireland
Page 8
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
THREE HUNDRED lorrie blocked Dublin streets last wee in a protest organised by th Irish Road Haulage Association.
The French farmer-styl protest, which was shadowed b a 100-vehicle protest in Cor culminated in a protest letter be ing delivered to Taoiseac (Prime Minister) Garret FitzGe rald.
The 1RHA is protesting agains a growing number of illegal, un licensed haulage contractor coming on to Irish roads.
It also wants the eight-how day, as specified by EEC regula tion 543/69, to be extended tc ten or 11 hours in Ireland to cow with the country's traffic prob lems, especially in Dublin, anc they protested about the level o taxation on vehicles and spare parts.
Meanwhile, the controversia McKinsey Report on the future of semi-state transport comparn Coras lompair Eireann (CM, Feb ruary 14) has been discreditec by Ireland's Central Statistic( Office, which has shown tha only 38 per cent of lorries rur empty, and not 46 per cent a; said by McKinsey.
McKinsey estimated that, a best, railways carried 20 per cen of Ireland's freight, whereas tho CSO figures show this to be 31 per cent. If this is the case, an( McKinsey's proposed closure o CIE freight services took piaci (something thought to be les: likely now), the effect upon thi environment could be greate than first thought.