Local authorities best placed to run commercial vehicles tests

Sinn Fein’s transport spokesperson, Dessie Ellis TD, has voiced his opposition today to the government’s plan to remove responsibility for licensing and testing of commercial vehicles from local authorities.

Ellis continued:

“A recent OECD report found that local authorities were best placed to provide these services and that they had a good record in providing good service which worked well with people and was accountable.”

“The government’s desire to remove this responsibility from local authorities is not based on any need to do this. The local authorities do their job well and I have never had any complaints to me about the process.

There are issues around enforcement, roadside testing and risk rating set out in EU directives but these do not require the move of responsibility to the RSA. I sought to amend the bill to fix this but these amendments were rejected out of hand by the government parties.

This is part of a continued assault of local authorities and a government project to make them irrelevant, weak and subservient to the Department of Environment. I believe the government is seeking to separate the state and local authorities from any activity which could be turned into profit for the private sector. We cannot allow this agenda to take precedent over good service and accountability.”