If you're Irish watch your weight
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by CM reporter
JNSPECIFIED numbers of Irish trucks are being stopped n Britain after breaking veights and licensing laws and he Department of the Envirnment has complained to the rish Government about them. The DoE told CM that most ,f the trucks were breaking he rules on axle weights and he 32-ton-gross vehicle veight rule. Others were said to be travelling with no short-term 0 licence or no drivers records.
In its letter to the Dublin Government the DoE says that it takes a very serious view of the operators who do not make sure that their trucks conform to UK regulations before they set out.
The warning has been passed on by the Irish Department of Transport and Power via the Irish Road Haulage Association to operators in the Republic, but the DoE in London is also writing to erring operators warning them of their future conduct.
• Unfair competition Some lorries in Northern Ireland designed to carry loads of 131/2 tons were carrying 22 tons, claimed Mr James Molyneaux (United Ulster Unionist, Antrim South) in the Commons.
He said that the majority of law-abiding companies that originally set out to comply with the loading regulations were now meeting with unfair competition from a tiny minority of unscrupulous companies.
The MP described as "substantial" the figures of 343 detected loadings and 59 initiated prosecutions during the year ending last April, given to him by Mr James Dunn, Northern Ireland Under-Secretary. The Minister should ensure that there was overall and even enforcement of the regulations, said Mr Molyneaux.
Mr Dunn said that roadside checks of heavy goods vehicles by the RUC and the Northern Ireland Department of the Environment indicated that a substantial majority of vehicles complied with the loading limits.
He appreciated the concern expressed by Mr Molyneaux and promised that if the MP gave the Department the names and addresses of those concerned, further inquiries would be made.