Height restrictions on the way for trucks

The Minister for Transport, Martin Cullen, has said that he will introduce a height restriction on trucks entering Ireland.

Some 20 of the 25 EU states already have restrictions on the heights of trucks which can use their roads and a similar limit is to be introduced in advance of the opening of the port tunnel in Dublin.

The roof of the tunnel is not high enough to accommodate some of the larger container trucks.

Speaking on RTÉ's Prime Time programme last night, the Minister for Transport said that he would ban so-called "super trucks" over a certain height from Irish roads.

"You can take it for certain that I am minded from an Irish perspective to have a height restriction on trucks, whether they are in Dublin or wherever," the Minister said.

"So there will be a countrywide restriction on the height of trucks in this country. The exact limit is yet to be decided. . ."

Explaining that the limit would be introduced before the opening of the port tunnel, he said: "I think it is beneficial to everybody that we bring clarity to that matter very quickly."

A spokesman for the Minister told The Irish Times that the height restrictions would be introduced in the context of good traffic flow and road safety in Dublin.

A detailed plan is expected to be brought to the Cabinet by the end of April.