LEGAL

Will living with Covid-19 become the norm?

The current European Council recommendation from October 2020, which was updated last June, has introduced a colour code system applied to a world map which may mean that, depending on which coloured area being travelled, one must have proof of a negative Coronavirus test.

If vaccinated, an EU Digital Covid-19 Certificate is available, which will of course make travel a great deal easier. However, before rushing for the door, one must take time to read the regulations which, in parts, are really not easy to follow.

Many European Member State Governments are still trying to develop a clear Covid-19 policy based on medical advice, which, thanks to the shifting patterns of the virus, is subject to constant change. Inevitably this results in modifications to border regulations which can throw a truck driver’s chosen route into total disaster, not least because these changes can, and do, occur with minimal notice. Repeating advice given some time ago, a driver whose journey takes him across an international border should always check to see if there are any new regulations since he/she last travelled the route. Those whose journey takes them into Northern Ireland should take particular care to check the regulations as the UK Government appears to have had particular difficulty with Covid-19.

Those road haulage companies whose work is entirely domestic should now be able to look to a future where there will be no new regulations. Unhappily those hauliers whose work requires their vehicles to cross borders will undoubtedly have to face new regulations and will, more importantly, have to make absolutely certain that they don’t miss a regulation that immediately affects their business.

More worryingly indeed is that there has been a growing number of cases when individual drivers have been denied access to a country when it is considered that they are in breach of that country’s laws. Arguably an employer should not put an employee in that situation, and it is reasonable to expect employers to always check the proposed route when a national border is to be crossed to ensure that their driver will be accepted and ensure that the driver understands that country’s Covid-19 legislation.

On another recent subject matter, the discussion about alternative fuels for transport continues, but it now seems that diesel will be with us for many years. Do those who promote electro-mobility remember that electricity needs to be made and then stored before it can be used? Currently, it seems that electric motors and battery packs are not suitable for long distance heavy duty vehicles carrying heavy loads and it seems unlikely that road transport companies will want to run their business depending on the strength of the wind through the nearest wind turbines.

In the midst of all this uncertainty and confusion there is at least one certainty upon which we can all depend, that there will always be goods that need to be moved, and each country within the European Union depends upon its trade with its neighbours (not least the UK). Although the movement of particular goods may be restricted in one country, that restriction is unlikely to apply elsewhere. Best to listen to local news and read the local papers to avoid being caught by changed legislation.

Text: Jonathan Lawton – jonathan@fleet.ie