Livestock hauliers facing huge bills

COST OF ANIMAL TRANSPORT RULE CHANGE REVEALED IN PARLIAMENTARY ANSWER TO STEVENSON

Livestock hauliers are potentially facing bills of over £20,000 as a result of EC Regulations on the transport of animals.

Banff & Buchan SNP MSP Stewart Stevenson has received a Parliamentary Answer which details the cost to hauliers of the new regulations and indicates that those at the top end of the scale may have to fork out over £20,000 per vehicle to meet the new requirements.

Commenting, Mr Stevenson said:

"No one at all, least of all hauliers, would dispute that livestock being transported to market or long distances should do so in humane conditions. In that respect, the formalisation into law of what most operators are already doing is welcome.

"However, some of the requirements laid down in statute are, frankly, baffling and seem quite unnecessary. For example, vehicles used for journeys of over 12 hours may require satellite navigation to be installed. What competent haulier is going to need that?

"Also, the fees for driver competency tests for those driving animals for longer than eight hours is more than double that for less than eight hours. I do get the impression that these costs are rather arbitrary.

"Hauliers will be able to phase in some of the requirements over a five year period. I am calling for the Government to introduce a scheme to allow hauliers to phase the cost of these requirements in over five years. At the top end of the scale, we are talking about a figure of over £20,000 per truck. That is a massive investment for a haulier with a fleet of trucks and may even force some to give up livestock transport rather than shell out such a vast sum.

"It is important that we do not lose any more livestock hauliers from the trade than we have already, otherwise it is ultimately the farmers who will pay the penalty."