Emerald sheen tarnished
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THE DEPARTMENT of Transport is moving closer to banning some Irish hauliers from British roads, if they do not comply with the law.
This follows a growing trend highlighted by the South Wales, North-western, and Scottish Licensing Authorities (CM, February 21) in which prohibitions on Irish lorries have increased. At Holyhead last year, increased inspections (covering about five per cent of port traffic) resulted
stopped having prohibitions imposed.
North-western LA Roy Hutchings commented then that he had no reason to believe that the other 95 per cent — unable to be screened due to a shortage of examiners — would be any better.
Dip officials have been putting pressure on their Irish counterparts to try to impose stricter controls within Ireland, and to make Irish operators more aware of the law in Britain.
At a meeting in London in March, these points were reinforced, and Dip officials said Ireland's lack of weighbridges and the absence of a compulsory vehicle test were sufficient reasons to explain away operators' transgressions.
A Dip spokesman told CM that British authorities still hope that there will not be a total ban on any operator entering Britain, but indicated that such measures are becoming increasingly likely. While DTp officials will not be drawn on the subject, it seems likely that six-month bans be imposed on the worst offenders.
The DTp insists that Irish operators are not the only offenders, and pointed out that the problem extends to some British concerns.