UK checks stopping many 'unroadworthy' Irish vehicles

British government officials have strongly criticised the standard of Irish commercial vehicles travelling to, and across, the United Kingdom.

They claim that up to 55 per cent of Irish-registered vehicles - including public service vehicles such as buses and coaches, are in breach of safety regulations.

And they have imposed the highest number of "prohibition notices" on Irish vehicles in a range of categories, from overloading to the number of hours worked by drivers.

A prohibition notice impounds a vehicle until the particular source of the problem is rectified. In serious cases the vehicle can be refused entrance to the UK.

The Government recognises the problem, and a key report on the Irish roadworthiness test for commercial vehicles is due to be given to Minister for Transport Martin Cullen, by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) within days.

A key issue for the Irish authorities is how, in a similar regulatory environment, such a large number of faults are not detected by the Irish roadworthiness test.

The Department's concern is a result of statistics now forwarded to it on a monthly basis from the British Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (Vosa).

Questions about the standards of Irish vehicles have also been raised as recently as last week in the British House of Lords.

It is understood that as part of any review of the road worthiness scheme, the Department of Transport would like to see distance placed between licensed local testers of public service vehicles, and locally-based commercial transport companies, as part of the measures to ensure independence of the test.

According to Vosa, more than 55 per cent of Irish registered vehicles with trailers tested in random checks in the United Kingdom in 2006, were found to be deficient, and were subject to prohibition notices.

Referring to its most recent statistics for 2006, a spokesman for Vosa, Stephen Hacker, said Ireland was ranked first among foreign states for breaches of regulations relating to drivers' hours; first among foreign states for overloading; first among foreign states for breaches of regulations relating to public service vehicles; and first among foreign states for breaches of regulations relating to the use of trailers.

Vosa admits that few countries are subject to the same level of testing as Ireland, but insists that this is because of its history of non-compliance. For example, in the 2006 statistics Ireland was not the worst offender overall, with a prohibition rate of 29.4 per cent out of a total of 2,262 checks.

The worst offender that year was Portugal, with a 44.6 per cent prohibition rate, based on just 202 checks.

However, the spokesman told The Irish Timesthere were substantially fewer Portuguese commercial vehicles on the roads in the UK than Irish lorries.

He acknowledged that individual officers would target Irish commercial vehicles because of the number of them, and the record of successfully spotting a transgression.

In 2005, during a debate on the Road Safety Bill in the House of Lords, the British government told Liberal Democrat Peer Lord William Bradshaw the overall compliance rate by Irish commercial vehicles was just 45 per cent.

Last week, in response to more questions on foreign vehicles posed by Lord Bradshaw, the British government said it did not keep statistics for the prosecution of foreign drivers.

Lord Bradshaw said: "The minister will recall his written answer to my question concerning vehicles on the A55 in Wales.

"We found that, in the case of vehicles from the Republic of Ireland, some 55 per cent of those stopped in an extensive check were in breach of the regulations. If the employer is in Ireland, he will not be supervising his employees on the A55 in north Wales.

"It is dangerous to go down the road to accepting that an employee is somehow exempted from taking responsibility for the condition of his vehicle and the way it is used."

Irish transport sources said the key issue raised by Lord Bradshaw is why such prohibitions are not detected here in the Republic, which is a similar regulatory environment.

Vosa has noted many of the vehicles stopped for mechanical infringements carry valid Irish roadworthiness certificates.

The agency, part of the British department of transport, is also mindful of the recent cases of public service vehicle crashes in the Republic, some of which have caused death.

The Vosa spokesman said the information gathered by Vosa could be used to identify individual transport firms which feature highly in prohibition notices.

A spokeswoman for Mr Cullen said the issue was one which he had asked the RSA to examine on its establishment, as responsibility for the Irish roadworthiness test was transferred from within the Department of Transport to the RSA at that time.

A spokesman for the RSA said the agency did wish to comment on the situation and timing of the report, but this comment was not received at the time of writing.

However, the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) has said the problem is not as big as suggested by the British.

IRHA spokesman Jimmy Quinn said the number of vehicles of all nationalities checked should be the same to ensure fair play.

He also accused the British officials of "nit-picking" in the extent and nature of their tests on Irish vehicles.

While he said he was not attempting to condone any safety breaches, he said a haulier would naturally drive a half hour over his time, rather than a half hour less, to make a boat to get home.

But he said the British had a large operation at Holyhead to scrutinise Irish trucks and "if they want to find something they will find it".