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Approximately 85% of trucks leaving Rosslare Europort for the UK will be at risk of chaotic delays as a result of unmanned Department checkpoints, Independent TD for Wexford Verona Murphy has told the Irish Farmers Journal.
The Department of Agriculture will operate two eight-hour shifts each day at its Rosslare inspection post, the first from 4am to midday and another from 2pm until 10pm.
“This will leave two hours unmanned in the middle of the day and another six hours without inspections at night. The Department doesn’t understand that the transport sector is driven by the tachograph,” Murphy warns.
Full throttle
Murphy, who is a former president of the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA), has called on the Department to run a 24-hour service at the port, catering for drivers who arrive during the day and night.
“The Department should be coming into these changes with full throttle, not halfheartedly with shiftwork that will leave gaps in the schedule. Since the last customs, the volume of goods has increased 20-fold.
“Over 18% of all trucks that leave Rosslare use the UK landbridge. Of this, 85% of these trucks will be carrying agri-related products which will need Department inspection. They are at real risk of chaotic delays.”
Live export
Meanwhile, The IRHA has called for the streamlining of checks at ports and for boat arrival times to be staggered in order to ease congestion when disembarking.
“With unavoidable delays at Dublin port, drivers will be told to take the bullocks for a spin up around the airport to allow for congestion to ease,” Irish Road Haulage Association president Eugene Drennan told the Irish Farmers Journal.
Irish transport authorities recently confirmed that Brexit-related traffic at Dublin Port will be rerouted to a Dublin Airport car park.
Drennan said: “These animals will be loaded up in the west in the early hours of the morning headed for the port. On arrival, drivers will be told to take them for a spin up around the airport to see the planes take off.”
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