The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) has stated that its president, Ms Verona Murphy, will be travelling to the port of Calais tomorrow, Thursday the 6th of August, with print and broadcast media to assess the latest developments, while providing a ground level perspective of the danger associated with transiting through the port facility.
The IRHA has been continuously highlighting the on-going threat to Irish road haulage operators and their drivers when transiting Calais. The association, representing the licensed hire and reward sector in Ireland, has been very concerned with the ever-growing level of hostility toward Irish HGVs and their drivers.
Speaking in advance of the fact finding trip to Calais, Ms Murphy stated “I am very concerned with the significant increase in the level of threat and harassment my members are facing in Calais, coupled with the lack of protection being afforded by the French police”.
Ms Murphy continued ‘While the obvious concern relates to the safety of our professional HGV drivers, there is the knock-on effect in terms of additional costs incurred as a result of time delays and damage to freight when clandestine entrants are found on-board a vehicle. I am personally visiting Calais in order to establish if any improvements are being realised from the haulage operator’s perspective given the various statements by the European Commission and UK / French governments over the last week”.
The IRHA is reiterating its call on the Irish government to intervene and support the haulage industry in Ireland by implementing Article 14 of Regulation 561 of 2006 which governs the tachograph rules (the internal system that records a drivers’ driving time) so that drivers are not forced to park-up for hours like “sitting ducks” in Calais having made little progress on their journey due to hours of delays.
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For further information please contact IRHA President Verona Murphy on 087 253 2720
Note to Editors: If you wish to take part in the Calais trip with Verona please utilise the above contact number.