Haulier licensing and proposed legislation
Members asked about haulier competence requirements, existing merchandise licences and the proposed road transport Bill. The Minister gave licence figures, said he was considering all aspects of road transport and did not yet specify the Bill’s contents.
asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport why it has been found necessary to require all road hauliers to have a certificate of competence from 1st January 1978; and if he intends to change the regulations which now make it an offence to haul outside a 15 mile radius of Dublin.
16.
Comment on this
asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport when he proposes to introduce a transportation Bill; and if he proposes to reintroduce the Road Transport Bill, 1976 which lapsed on the dissolution of the 20th Dáil.
19.
Comment on this
asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport when he proposes to introduce the Road Transport Bill; and the changes in road transport legislation that are contemplated.
Comment on this
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle I propose to take questions Nos. 14, 15, 16 and 19 together.
There are 1,198 merchandise licences extant at the moment including 841 general haulage licences issued in 1933 and 1945, and 357 issued subsequently, the latter being restricted to specialised haulage of one kind or another; some licensees hold more than one licence and the total number of licensees is 1,086.
I am not satisfied that under the provisions of the 1944 Act I would be justified in granting licences for general haulage at the present time, but licences for specialised haulage are granted in cases where I am satisfied, as required by the Act, that they meet an inadequacy of transport. Such licences are granted fairly frequently.
The requirement to have a certificate of competence arises under a 1974 EEC directive and is designed to improve standards in road freight haulage. It will apply only to hauliers who commenced business on or after the 1st January, 1975.
As regards the other matters raised and in particular the question of the introduction of a Road Transport Bill, it is my intention to introduce such a Bill in the near future. I am not in a position to give an indication of the content of the Bill at this stage.
Comment on this
Does the Minister not agree that the present system is outmoded in that since 1947 only 841 licences were issued? When introducing the Bill, will the Minister take the opportunity of liberalising the system of merchandise licensing?