Truck drivers call for levy to fund road-building

Truck drivers have called on the Government to replace road tolls with a 2% levy on all business profits.

The Irish Road Haulage Association said the levy, which could raise more than €660m per year, should be used to fund infrastructure projects instead of toll booths, which collect a sizeable portion of their income from truck drivers.

IRHA spokesman Jimmy Quinn said the levy would help spread the cost of infrastructural development more evenly.

"There's nobody in this country who doesn't benefit from an efficient transport system," he said.

"88% of all transport companies in this country have less than five vehicles, they haven't got huge resources and we just don't have the money to carry the whole thing ourselves."