Trade groups warn against 4m vehicle height restriction

A group of trade associations has warned that proposals from the European Parliament to impose a prohibition on cross-border movements of vehicles exceeding four metres in height would have an adverse impact on trade between the UK and Ireland.

Ireland currently sets a limit of 4.65m for vehicle heights, while the UK imposes no national restriction – unlike in most EU member states, where height limits of 4m are applied. Currently, both the UK and Ireland are permitted derogations from this requirement, allowing trade to develop across the Irish border with ‘high cube trailers’ that exceed 4m in height.

The European Commission has proposed that cross-border movements of vehicles exceeding the maximum dimensions should be permitted where these are already allowed by neighbouring member states; but a suggested amendment in a report by Austrian MEP Jörg Leichtfried would prohibit all such movements. The Freight Transport Association (FTA) cites estimates that up to 90 per cent of the Irish fleet would be affected by this restriction, resulting in severe cost increases for operators.

A letter sent to the European Parliament’s transport committee by several UK and Irish associations asked it to accept the EC’s original proposal, and not to damage trade between the two countries by imposing restrictions that FTA called “unnecessary and unwelcome.”

The other organisations that signed the letter were FTA Ireland, the Road Haulage Association, the British Irish Chamber of Commerce, the Irish Exporters Association, the Irish Road Haulage Association and the Irish Business and Employers Confederation.

FTA chief executive Theo de Pencier said: “We are extremely concerned about the adverse effect this would have on trade and the environment.  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 kilograms of carbon dioxide per year.”