TRUMPET CALL

letter to the Editor

Open questions to the Minister for Transport, Environment & Climate Action

This year our company, wm Cyril McGuinness, celebrates its 30th anniversary in the road transport business. Suppose it’s not bad for a lad that left school at 14 to work on a farm. That is where I got my love of nature and the environment and also being taught by my father and his before him to “leave the world a better place than you got it.”

With this frame of mind, I must ask Eamon Ryan, the Minister for Transport, who is also the leader of the Green Party, the following questions:

Why were so many chances lost to make change and improve the environment?

Why, without an alternative refuelling infrastructure in place, is there such a high penalty for using Low Emission Vehicles (LEV) like Euro 6 diesel powered trucks?

Without the proper infrastructure for Natural Gas/Electric/Hydrogen, there will never be uptake by the masses. Yes, some hauliers are using CNG but in fairness, they are large operators who took a punt on this new fuel by finding the resources necessary to have their own filling points - and fair play to them. But small fleet operators are dependent on service station providers.

Taken from that is that the Climate Change Advisory Council would be thinking that the Government must reward fuel stations that offer Natural Gas/Electric/Hydrogen as well as the two fossil fuels on sale and penalise refuelling stations that don’t. This, I believe, would drive real change.

There is very little point in offering a grant to buy an alternatively powered truck if you can’t even refuel it around the country. This has been the case up until now for CNG, although there are more refuelling stations coming into service. And as for Hydrogen, we are at least a decade before we see such powered trucks in any numbers on Irish roads.

For us it’s simple “Hobson’s Choice” - take it or leave it. Personally, my choice is to keep changing, keep investing, moving the fleet from Euro 5 to Euro 6. That’s all I can do because of a lack of proper infrastructure.

Back to the last Budget, two things jump off the page - The absence of an accelerated Capital Allowance for LEV (Euro 6D/E) is a lost opportunity for the Government to introduce the safest and the lowest emission vehicles onto Irish roads. Also, the Carbon tax doesn’t care if you run a diesel truck from the last century or a brand new one. To Illustrate this, I have a 1989 classic tractor-unit now only used for shows and charity runs. It produces more harmful emissions than our 15 Euro 5 and 6 trucks put together, yet the carbon tax is the same, thus not encouraging anyone to upgrade.

The second matter of concern may be controversial. Why, if the haulage sector is now paying €200,000 a day on Carbon Tax and €720,000 in Excise or Duty? This is a mind blowing €335m a year to the Exchequer or around €900,000 a day. Why, oh why, are the airlines simply tax free and carbon tax free on their fuel usage? I think the airline industry should and must pay their fair share, Wasn’t it the French Government that bailed out Air France on the caveat they will pay the Carbon Tax?

So the question I wish to pose to the Minister through Fleet Transport magazine is - why should one sector of transport that’s keeping the country alive and functioning pay €335 million, while another sector pays Net Zero? It’s time Eamon Ryan answers the question on why some get off scot-free. I rest my case! Best Regards, William Cyril Mc Guinness P.S. I’ve just listened to an interview with Eamonn Ryan on the radio. He commented that Ireland has joined up with the alliance against Gas and Fossil fuels. I know that our Government is anti-fossil fuels, but the question is why are they giving a grant for Natural Gas Powered trucks, with little or no infrastructure, and on the other hand now demonising them? Just what source of power does he want us to use? I can’t see any drivers using rickshaws! It’s very simple, the change is far too slow, This is because of lack of infrastructure, and without it there won’t be change. All-Star Transport Training Company of the Year 2021 Transport Manager CPC

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