5 minute read
John Martin, RHA Policy Manager for Northern Ireland
John Martin
RHA Policy Manager for Northern Ireland.
FOREIGN SECRETARY INDICATES MOVEMENT SOON ON NI PROTOCOL
The RHA and McCulla Ireland Ltd recently met with the Foreign Secretary Liz Truss to discuss workable solutions to the Northern Ireland Protocol.
The Foreign Secretary
indicated legislation will be tabled to Parliament within the next few weeks. She said close engagement with the RHA and other stakeholders would be necessary to ensure it was fit for purpose. The proposals include green and red lane solutions at ports in Northern Ireland. The green lanes will be for goods remaining in the UK with the claim it will be similar to moving goods between England and Scotland. The red lane will be those going to the EU and subject to full customs and SPS requirements. Additionally, the current Trader Support Service scheme could continue under the red lane proposal. Where the final destination is unknown, the green lane can be used, or alternatively the trader/ haulier can use the red lane and declare the goods through the full customs and SPS requirements. If goods are subsequently moved to the EU single market, they can be declared at that stage. Additionally raw materials and parts can be sourced to either EU or UK standards, subject to the products’ final market. It is also suggested an approved universal trusted trader scheme will be required for those businesses moving goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland only and anyone found to be operating illegally will be subject to investigation and potential removal from the scheme.
SEEKING VIEWS
The Foreign Secretary also indicated the government wanted a negotiated settlement and probably needed a biosecurity agreement to underpin it. We strongly support a negotiated settlement to the full range of issues currently being experienced as a consequence of the Protocol. However, whilst there are “many landing zones” it’s a “smooth runway” we are after. Any negotiated solution must have Northern Ireland front and centre and it’s not a matter of just “meeting in the middle” This is an issue that only the UK Government and the EU can solve and with the RHA having a direct line into Government hauliers who have experienced issues with the new trading arrangement can have an actual voice. In addition to the issues resulting from the Protocol, Brexit has significantly affected “land bridge” journeys between NI and GB via Ireland return and Ireland to mainland EU via GB return which also needs further consideration. The Foreign Secretary also sought views from attendees on the new framework and whether it would address our concerns. The proposals are framed around the UK Command paper published last summer and if agreed, will largely address most of the concerns hauliers have in regard to the additional requirements. The RHA has been consistent in its lobbying since the Protocol was introduced in January 2021 and its fantastic to see others including politicians, the Government, the Commission and other key stakeholders now appear to agree with our initial stance. The Foreign Secretary’s team will now forward further information to the RHA and other stakeholders for a view on the new scheme. We additionally requested clarity on the positioning of SPS controls for entry into the UK through Ireland in the event of a contamination or disease issue within the EU.
Continental Offers Tyre Solutions for Sustainable Fleet Management
Continental is helping transport companies and fleet operators to prepare their vehicles for the future by making fleets more sustainable, efficient and digitally connected.
To this end, the technology company has a broad range of solutions and technologies that conserve resources and improve the carbon footprint of vehicles. Its focus is on four strategic areas: climate protection, clean mobility, circular economy and sustainable supply chains. “Efficiency and sustainability awareness have become vital competitive factors for transport companies too,” says Ralf Benack, Head of 360° Solutions at Continental. “Low-rolling resistance tyres already form part of the basic specification in many fleets. However, we are looking for more – namely, sustainability throughout a tyre’s life cycle.” At Continental, sustainability begins at the material sourcing phase and extends through the manufacturing process to the delivery and deployment of long-lasting, energy-efficient tyres. At the end of a tyre’s working life, Continental is able to provide tyre retreading and make use of raw materials obtained from the recycling of old tyres in the production of new rubber. The framework for this is provided by the Conti360° Solutions overall tyre management package –the selection of the right tyre, permanent monitoring of tyre data and a system to feed worn tyres back into the ContiLifeCycle programme, allowing tyres to enjoy a new life. Alongside the ContiFitment Service, which helps customers make the right choice of tyre for the application at hand, another key element of Continental’s fleet solutions is digital tyre monitoring with ContiConnect. Using sensors inside the tyres, ContiConnect enables fleet managers to access real-time tyre data, such as pressure and temperature, for the entire fleet. Tyre damage can be quickly detected, preventing punctures, and the tyres can be constantly kept at the optimum pressure, which can help to lower fuel consumption. Fleets reap the benefits of longer tyre service life and minimised real-life total costs for the vehicles. Continental is set to make another step towards predictive maintenance with the introduction of ContiConnect 2.0 and its next-generation sensors, which will provide even more tyre data to fleet operators. “Sustainability and climate protection have been key issues for the transport industry for many years now,” remarks Benack. “We are always looking to help fleets precisely tackle these challenges with our solutions, to support them on the road towards sustainable fleet management. This is also why our unerring focus on sustainability has been enshrined in our ‘Vision 2030’ strategic programme.”
Brigade’s Sidescan®Predict is the next generation of side-detection sensor system, designed for collision avoidance between vehicles, objects and vulnerable road users. Utilising ultrasonic technology, this intelligent system predicts if a collision is likely to occur and alerts the driver by a visual and/or audible warning, depending on the severity of the calculation. Sidescan®Predict
