The Freight Transport Association has joined a group of trade associations from the UK and Ireland, to write to the European Parliament’s Transport Committee, urging it not to impose unnecessary height restrictions on goods vehicles.
The group includes FTA Ireland, Road Haulage Association, British Irish Chamber of Commerce, Irish Exporters Association, Irish Road Haulage Association and the Irish Business and Employers Confederation.
It said the “unwelcome” height restrictions would damage highly efficient trade flows between the UK and Ireland, and expressed concern about a suggested amendment made by Austrian MEP Jörg Leichtfried.
Leichtfried proposed to prohibit all cross-border movements of vehicles exceeding four metres in height, when Ireland has a national height limit of 4.65 metres and the UK has no national height restriction.
“We are extremely concerned about the adverse effect this would have on trade and the environment,” said FTA’s chief executive, Theo de Pencier.
“One major UK retailer, with operations in the UK and Ireland, has estimated that a four metre height restriction would result in 3,000 extra trailer movements, adding 740,000 additional road miles and generating an extra one million kilogrammes of carbon dioxide per year.”
