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Rule-breaking Northern Irish (NI) hauliers will "have their days numbered" once the country adopts O-licensing legislation in-line with the rest of the UK, according to the RHA. NI environment minister Edwin Poots confirmed this week that the Goods Vehicle (Licensing of Operators) Bill is to go to the consideration stage at the NI Assembly this year before becoming law in 2010.

Phil Flanders, RHA Scotland and Northern Ireland director, praises the legislation: "This will go a long way  to making sure we have fair competition and will improve road safety. "Those hauliers who have flouted the law, now have their days numbered," he says.

Currently the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) - a government agency of the Department of Environment Northern Ireland - runs an operator licensing system in the province that covers firms carrying goods for hire or reward. The new legislation will extend the licensing requirements to own-account operators who are currently exempt from the legislation.

Under the plans, the department will appoint an independent regulator, who will have similar powers to that of a Traffic Commissioner, increasing transparency of the licensing system.

Flanders describes the current system as "incredibly frustrating". He adds: "A lot of the good hauliers are seeing rivals that would not get a licence in the rest of Great Britain being allowed to operate in NI. It creates unfair competition and does nothing for road safety." He adds that  most hauliers "are over the moon" about the introduction of the new legislation.

The European Parliament in Strasbourg is expected to ratify a new law next week designed to introduce stricter standards across the EU for people wanting to operate as hauliers. Firms in the EU intending to undertake transport operations will need to designate a transport manager who has carried out 140 hours of training and is of good repute.