Several RHA members in Northern Ireland have reported that ferry operator CLdN (formerly Seatruck) has introduced surcharges to hauliers using their services.
The Road Haulaage Association in Britain understand they’ve launched a new system where operators using more than their standard booking allocations have to pay 100 percent surcharge on additional slots.
This follows the closure of Holyhead port.
“Our members tell us that the allocated standard booking slots fall significantly short of average weekly shipping volumes to meet demand which effectively doubles the cost of essential shipping services. They further report that these surcharges are only being notified at the time of booking, providing no opportunity for strategic planning or alternative arrangements.
We are investigating this issue and will engage with key stakeholders as we are concerned about the strain of this pricing on the supply chain between GB and Northern Ireland, given the dominant position CdNL operates under via its routes between Warrenpoint/Dublin and Heysham, and Dublin and Liverpool,” its statement reads.
If you have recently experienced issues regarding pricing of carriage of goods between NI and GB then please get in touch with our policy director, Martin Reid: m.reid@rha.uk.net
Meanwhile…
‘Clandestine entrants’ in UK-bound vehicles – RHA urging penalty reform to protect compliant operators
From Richard Smith, RHA Managing Director: “We’re urging the Government to reform a penalty scheme which is seeing some transport operators and drivers unfairly penalised when ‘clandestine entrants’ are found on vehicles.
There’s widespread concern that the Clandestine Entrant Civil Penalty Scheme isn’t wholly effective with operators being punished despite making all reasonable efforts to secure their vehicles. We’ve heard numerous examples of this from our members and across the industry.
We acknowledge that illegal entry into the UK continues to be a big issue for Government – boat crossings across the Channel makes the headlines but the scale and impact of people breaking into vehicles shouldn’t be underestimated.
We recognise the role our industry plays in keeping the border secure, and support all reasonable measures to deter clandestine entrants as well as penalise those drivers and operators who aren’t taking the necessary steps to secure their vehicles. However, as tactics and techniques for hiding on vehicles evolve, it is vital the scheme also evolves so operators and drivers are not unfairly punished.
We wrote to the Independent Chief Inspector for Borders and Immigration in September as part of a review into the scheme, but we still haven’t heard any public response to that investigation.
We are calling for the following measures:
- A review of the Clandestine Entrant Civil Penalty Scheme and entry checklists in line with the evolving illegal immigration situation to ensure they are fit for purpose. This should account for the advanced methods used by organised criminals to conceal migrants entering vehicles.
- Improved training for Border Force officials on vehicle security to increase their understanding of the latest methods and techniques used by clandestine entrants.
- A clear declaration that drivers are not expected to personally deal with potential clandestine entrants on safety grounds, with additional guidance and publicity on the steps a driver should take in these circumstances.
- Clearer avenues for drivers to seek assistance from French authorities and UK Border officials to ensure no driver genuinely seeking assistance to deal with a clandestine entrant is punished.
On behalf of our members we’ll continue to work with both the Border Force and the Home Office on improving border security and we’re available to discuss this issue in greater detail as part of their inspection process.
RHA calls for EV charging investment for commercial vehicles
We welcome reports in The Times today that local authorities are accelerating investment in EV charging infrastructure, writes our senior policy lead, Chris Ashley.
Lack of charging infrastructure is a major blockage preventing the rapid introduction of electric vehicles, with the problem being particularly acute for commercial vehicle operators. We call for local authorities and the energy companies to ensure infrastructure for vans, lorries and coaches is urgently prioritised.
With latest EV van sales static at 6.3% of overall van sales, practical measures are needed to ensure vans can access the public car EV network; for example, removing height barriers so that vans can access dedicated charge points in car parks.
When 8,200 charge points at 3,000 locations are needed for lorries by 2030, having just one public HGV charging point at the M61 Rimmington Services is not good enough. Urgent action is needed to speed up both planning applications for HGV and coach recharging hubs and connections to the National Grid.
-Ends-
Notes for editors
The Times article – https://bit.ly/3DLs1YG