Irish get hgv tests
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THE DEPARTMENT of the Environment in the Irish Republic has approved in principle some 85 centres to implement its compulsory lorry testing scheme which came into force at the beginning of the year.
Foreshadowing British Government aspirations, the stations will be owned by private companies subject to local authority approval and supervision.
The testers include commercial garages and large fleet owners, many of whom will have to make a 1R£3 5,00 0 (E28,226) investment in equipment to test brake systems, steering and alignment, wheel balance, lighting and electrical systems and exhaust emission.
According to one observer, the new tests mean that, whether it likes it or not: "The Irish transport industry is being dragged screaming into the 20th Century."
They are the result of EEC directive 77/143 which requires all member states to introduce compulsory vehicle testing for goods vehicles over one-year old. Ireland has left it to the last possible moment to implement the directive.
The test fee is 1R£20 for a tractive unit and 1RE10 for a trailer.
When a vehicle has passed the test, the authorised tester will supply the owner with a statement to that effect in a form approved by the Minister of the Environment.