Irish industry still in crisis
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The Irish Road Haulage Association has warned the Irish government that the industry is still in crisis.
In the past two weeks alone three more hauliers have ceased trading—one each in the Midlands, Mayo and Donegal.
Following a day-long national protest on 15 September, IRHA representatives have met government officials in a transport forum to address problems. The association is demanding a 30% reduction in fuel excise duty. following the latest meeting last weekend, the lPHA executive warned that its members would protest again if the talks had a negative outcome. The government is expected to give its decision as part of the 6 December Budget.
The final session of the forum will convene before this, on 16 November. Hauliers are also pressing for action on excise duty, illegal haulage and consignor liability for overloading. Although a law was passed last year making consignors liable for overload ing a truck, so far nobody has been charged under the legislation.
"The crisis is very real," says IRHA president Gerry McMahon. 'Regardless of what happens now, more hauliers will have gone to the wall by December."
As a result of the discussions, Customs and police have been mounting nationwide road checks on commercial vehicles, designed to catch illegal hauliers who are operating at an unfair advantage, according to the IRHA.