Comment

If Seamus Brennan started the way he means to continue there should be some very interesting times ahead at the new Department of Transport, writes John Loughran.

Minister Brennan has certainly hit the ground running as witnessed by his headlong dive into the penalty points logjam. After calling a meeting with senior members of the Garda Siochana, the minister could not believe, that the penalty points system would not be up and running for another 12 months.

The Road Transport Act 2001, of which the penalty points system is an integral part, was passed into law in March of this year. The introduction of the penalty points system was first mooted back in 1998 and is recognised by both the Gardai and road safety exports as being a major tool in reducing the carnage on our roads.
The system, along with the widespread use of strategically placed speed cameras has yielded huge safety benefits in countries where it has been introduced. On hearing that the system would not be available in Ireland until this time next year, the minister told the Gardai that he wanted the system operational by September at the latest.

The delay centres around a funding row that erupted between the Department of Finance and the Department of Justice some months ago over who was going to fork out the euro 11 million required to fund the computer system.
The Finance Department refused to fund the Garda computer system and offered only a paltry euro 1 million towards its cost. The row was finally diffused when the shortfall was made up by raiding the coffers of other government departments.

While the funding is now in place, no company has yet been awarded the contract to link up the existing computer systems in the courts service, the Garda computer and the Department of Transport.
This is expected to happen shortly and the company will be asked how long it will take to have the new integrated system operational.
However, Mr Brennan is adamant that another delay in introducing the penalty points system is totally unacceptable and wants it operational by September. As an interim measure he has asked and been given the backing of the Cabinet to introduce a "hard copy" or "paper trail" system until the computerised version is operational.

Justice Minister Michael McDowell was instrumental in gaining the backing of the Cabinet and pointed out that the penalty points system in Britain is operated on a manual, or paper based system and has been running successfully for many years.
The two ministers will now engage in a series of meetings with officials from their departments in the coming weeks in an attempt to have a manual system operational by September.
Lets hope the Minister can stick the pace. There is a huge amount to be achieved in the lifetime of the Government. But he is certainly off to a flier.

It appears that Dublin Chamber of Commerce has finally negotiated a deal with Dublin City Council over new delivery restrictions in the capital. It is a tremendous pity that these bodies didn't seek an opinion from the haulage industry before striking a deal. After all it is the poor haulier that will be most affected by the new restrictions.

The Council has agreed that the new delivery restrictions - to be implemented in September - will only be for a three-month trial basis. The Council has also pledged to increase parking bays to facilitate deliveries. The restricted hours of delivery will apply only to main arteries in a ring from Merrion Street/Westmoreland Street/Westland Row /South Great Georges Street on the Southside and Church Street /Parnell Street /Gardiner Street on the north side.
Comments emanating from the County Council following the announcement show just how far off-beam it is in relation to the issue. While admitting that the new restrictions would cause problems for retailers, it didn't acknowledge the role the haulage industry plays in the commercial life of the city, or acknowledge that the restrictions will impact on its members.

"Clearly, there will be difficulties for some businesses in adjusting to the new delivery schedule but we have to accept that actions need to be taken to unblock the current congestion in the city," a council spokesman said.
The Irish Road Haulage Association is disappointed but not surprised that it wasn't asked for an input. Communications Director Jimmy Quinn said: "Instead of issuing dictates there should have been more discussion with the various interest groups involved including ourselves on how best to execute these deliveries. We are aware of the situation and we are seeking meetings to discuss the issue. We feel that we are in a better situation to talk about this issue, because we are the one who have to execute the deliveries."

Road haulage is a professional industry and its members will react to the needs of its customers. However, executing a first class service in the sort of delivery windows being spoken about by Dublin City Council will come at a high price.
Hauliers know that it is a physical impossibility to carry out all the deliveries that are required in Dublin city centre on any given day in a two-hour delivery window. The employers' body IBEC also recognise that fact.

It is an awful pity Dublin City Council and Dublin Chamber of Commerce didn't consult with the IRHA and IBEC before cooking up this hair-brained scheme. It would have saved a lot of grief for everybody.