Brakes put on hauliers’ action

THE brakes have been put on threatened disruption by truckers over rocketing fuel costs and widespread unlicensed haulage operations.

A clampdown on unlicensed hauliers and a reduction in road tax for certain trucks from next year are among the measures which the Government have offered to ease the plight of the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA).

Last week, truckers held a tense meeting in Dublin with Transport Minister Noel Dempsey at which they demanded steps be taken to prevent hauliers being driven out of business.

The delegation requested a tax rebate system on fuel as well as other measures to reduce crippling costs in the industry.

The Government was given until close of business yesterday to come up with a meaningful response amid threats of demonstrations and withdrawal of services by the nation’s truck drivers.

Yesterday, members of the IRHA’s executive met with civil servants at which proposals were discussed.

IRHA president Jimmy Quinn said positive advances had been made between both sides, but he expressed disappointment at the Government’s failure to address the issue or rising fuel costs.

There was no prospect of the Government introducing a tax rebate structure for hauliers, he said.

However, the Department of Transport had given a firm commitment to stamp out cowboy truckers and consequently all local authorities had been directed to ensure that haulage contracts were granted only to fully licensed firms.

This, Mr Quinn said, was a worthwhile initiative as the industry had been conscious that unlicensed hauliers were commonly employed on local authority infrastructural projects.

On road tax, the government officials are fine tuning a proposal to reduce the levy on heavy-duty Euro-4 and Euro-5 engines.