Comment June 2002

COMMENT

The Fianna Fail / Progressive Democrat coalition proved it had the wherewithal to steer Ireland through a period of unprecedented growth during the lifetime of the last government, writes Johgn Loughran

This time round the coalition partners will have to make some tough decisions over the next five years to steer Ireland Inc out of its current economc malaise. The road haulage industry will also be looking to the Government to tackle key areas that are crippling the industry.

The government must act on the Motor Insurance Advisory Boards report into the insurance industry. Spiralling insurance premiums is the biggest single threat facing the road haulage industry and must be addressed immediately.

The Irish Insurance Federation has given an undertaking to tackle the issues raised in the report that are within its own control. However, there are issues external to the IIF that need to be addressed. The Government must act swiftly and decisively on these issues.

The completion of the National Roads Programme is also of paramount importance. The plan must not be scaled back and must be completed on time. Traffic gridlock is crippling the economic life of the country. When the inevitable economic upturn arrives, Ireland must have the infrastructure in place to maximise its benefits.
Ireland’s apalling road safety record must also be addressed. The completion of the National Roads Programme will result in a significant saving in lives but more must be done.

The implementation of the penalty points system should be dealt with as a matter of urgency. The Government must also provide the Gardai with the appropriate technology to increase the number of speeding detections, because speed is a proven killer.

The Government should channel the Eu25 million it receives annually from the two per cent insurance levy into its Road Safety Strategy. The National Safety Council, the body charged with the onerous task of educating the motoring public on road safety is grossly under funded. At present the cash starved NSC is fighting a losing battle, but with that level of funding available the NSC could make a huge impact on road safety.

Finally, the Government must make a concerted effort to eradicate unlicenced haulage. Enforcement of the laws pertaining to road haulage is at best sporadic. These laws must enforced evenly and fairly throughout the country.
All the licenced haulage community wants is a level playing pitch, where competitive advantage is gained through hard work and endeavour, not by the breaking the law.