Cattle hauliers, milk lorry drivers and farmers joined more than 100 lorry drivers on Sunday to demonstrate the importance of the invisible border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. A convoy of 150 hauliers took to the roads between Donegal and Derry to highlight the ease of crossing at Bridge End, a one-time checkpoint.
Cattle hauliers, milk lorry drivers and farmers joined more than 100 lorry drivers on Sunday to demonstrate the importance of the invisible border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
A convoy of 150 hauliers took to the roads between Donegal and Derry to highlight the ease of crossing at Bridge End, a one-time checkpoint.
I dealt with borders 26 years ago and I don’t ever want to go back there again
The organiser of the demonstration, farmer and haulier, George Mills told the Irish Farmers Journal: “It wasn’t a protest as such, but we wanted to highlight how difficult things could become as a result of Brexit.
“The UK don’t seem to be worrying about this at all as they see that only 2% of their trade crosses this border - it’s a drop in the ocean to them - but that’s nearly 100% of our trade and we just had to highlight the concerns of what Brexit will do to us if there are customs checks. It will be total chaos,” he said.
There are a number of concerns for hauliers that operate close to the border regions.
\ Mike Murphy
Tom Doherty, owner of Jeta Haulage, who took part in the convoy, said: “I draw potatoes to Country Crest in Lusk, Co Dublin, every week. I travel into Lifford and down through Strabane nearly every day; it takes about four hours. Who’s going to pay if I have to go through Sligo and turn it into an overnight trip?
"I dealt with borders 26 years ago and I don’t ever want to go back there again."
HGV licences
According to the National Driver Licence Service, licences for light articulated trucks and articulated lorries that were granted in the UK are not transferrable when you exchange your UK licence for an Irish one. This means that many drivers who obtained their licences in the UK and are residents of Ireland will have to apply and retake their driving tests again in the republic.
Animal welfare
The Department of Agriculture has strict guidelines on the transport of livestock and the worry among drivers is that a customs delay might have a significant negative impact on operations.
“Drivers bring livestock to Irish Country Meats in Camolin, Co Wexford, all the time and they always travel straight through the north,” explained Mills.
"If they are forced to go around by Sligo, you could be making that into a two-day journey. It would have a massive effect on the trade up here,” he added.
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