Truckers face rising costs next year as they grapple with the ongoing closure of Holyhead Port in Wales, a key British entry point for Irish businesses, their industry’s representatives warn.
Ger Hyland, president of the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) wants the Government to freeze road toll hikes and stall hikes to vehicle roadworthiness tests, overseen by the Road Safety Authority, due to apply from next month.
“We want these cost increases suspended until the new government is formed so all the stakeholders can sit down and we can thrash out what they are getting and where we are getting value for money,” he said.
The increases include 15 per cent on annual commercial vehicle roadworthiness tests, whose rates vary according to vehicle type. Licence fees have increased to €60 from €55.
Mr Hyland pointed out that proposed road toll increases were the third in 18 months. Transport Infrastructure Ireland recently announced extra charges for the M50 motorway around the capital and the Dublin Port Tunnel.
“The M50 is long since paid for and it is high time the Government introduced toll exemptions for licensed hauliers on this motorway at a minimum,” he declared.
His organisation calculates that hauliers pay €20,000 in road tolls on average every month.
Mr Hyland argued that the industry was getting nothing in return for the increases and had unsuccessfully sought express toll lanes for hauliers, who often face long waits at individual booths.
Similarly, he pointed out that the growth in the number of vehicles on the road meant that toll roads were earning increased revenues without having to boost charges.
[ Hauliers now facing major delays and backlogs at other Irish Sea ports in UKOpens in new window ]
Hauliers heard news of the increases as they were rushing to find alternatives to Holyhead, closed following damage in last week’s Storm Daragh, to ship goods to and from Britain.
That alone is driving up costs for trucking companies, which have to find alternative routes via Liverpool, Cairnryan and other ports.
The Stena Line-run Holyhead Port confirmed on Tuesday that two ferry terminals suffering storm damage could remain closed until January 15th at the earliest.
Mr Hyland said his association had been told unofficially that the port was “unlikely to reopen this side of St Patrick’s Day”.
The Government was “piling pressure on an industry already stretched to its limits”, he added.
The transport boss pointed out that his industry carried 98 per cent of all imports and exports.
A Government spokesman said that Road Safety Authority charges had not increased for 12 years.
He also noted that those and other costs could be deducted from tax and were subject to the usual VAT rules.
The IHRA represents about 4,000 businesses with 40,000 trucks on the road and which employ 80,000 drivers.
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