News

Northern Ireland is poised to tighten up its O-licensing system to bring it in line with the rest of the UK. The Northern Ireland Department of the Environment (DoE) is introducing legislation next month to place much stricter requirements on Northern Ireland-based hauliers. At present, own-account operators in Northern Ireland do not require an O-licence at all, while hire-or-reward hauliers can be granted one by meeting conditions that  are much less stringent than those faced by hauliers in the rest of the UK.

They do not, for example, have to state the frequency of their safety inspections in the same way as other UK hauliers. If the proposed changes are approved, then Northern Ireland's O-licensing system will mirror the rest of the UK's in almost every respect, although there is no intention to appoint a Traffic Commissioner. The system will be administered directly by the DoE.

Both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have long been criticised for poor transport standards. The Freight Transport Association (FTA) told the Northern Ireland DoE last week that the three worst countries for truck safety in Europe were the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Romania.

The proposed changes have been welcomed by many politicians in Northern Ireland. Daithi McKay, Sinn Fein environment spokesman, says he wants the new law introduced by the summer. He  adds: "Ireland, north and south, has some of the worst transport standards in Europe, and new legislation to bring the north up to speed has been on the table since the 1990s but has never been progressed by direct rule ministers." The FTA's manager for Northern Ireland, Tom Wilson, also welcomed the changes, although he says the FTA would prefer a Traffic Commissioner to be appointed. He adds: "We would like a specialist TC to oversee the system because this brings the necessary expertise to the role."