Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour)

I will share time with Deputies Brian Walsh, Terence Flanagan and Marcella Corcoran Kennedy.

The Bill has two main components, namely, the reform of commercial vehicle roadworthiness testing and the designation of the Road Safety Authority as the driving licensing authority. Its provisions in these two areas will bring about a significant and positive change to the way in which commercial vehicles are tested and managed and the operation of the driver licensing system. The result will be a major improvement in service for all those availing of testing and licensing arrangements. This is part of the reform process outlined in the programme for Government.

The primary purpose of the Bill is to establish a legislative framework for commercial vehicle testing. The legislation will result in the functions of local authorities in the area of commercial vehicle roadworthiness being transferred to the Road Safety Authority and provide for a new licensing authorisation system in respect of test centres and authorised testers. It will also introduce greater powers of enforcement through targeted roadside inspections and inspection of commercial premises in respect of vehicle maintenance and roadworthiness.

The Bill also provides for revised arrangements for the processing and management of driving licences. This change will provide the necessary support for the introduction of a plastic card driving licence at the beginning of 2013 and the transfer of driver licensing functions from local authorities to the Road Safety Authority. The reforms being delivered on foot of the Bill will result in a significant saving in the current organisation of public services in the relevant areas and improved public services. I commend the commitment shown by the Road Safety Authority, local authorities and those working in road safety in responding to the challenge of public service reform to deliver the service changes underpinning the Bill.

Regarding commercial vehicle roadworthiness testing, a number of years ago, following some high profile collisions involving commercial vehicles, the then Department of Transport tasked the Road Safety Authority with undertaking a comprehensive review of arrangements for the roadworthiness testing of commercial vehicles. At a meeting of the Joint Committee on the Environment and Transport yesterday, it was reported that progress is being made at European Union level on the operation of the tachograph system. This will make the operation of vehicles safer and more transparent.

Commercial vehicles are currently required to undergo an annual roadworthiness test at an authorised test centre. Local authorities are responsible for authorising privately operated garages to provide testing services and complete regular supervision of the authorised testers in their areas. The Department also approved the recommendations of a comprehensive review carried out by an independent consultant on behalf of the RSA. This involved taking two courses of action with a view to raising permanently the standard of commercial vehicle testing throughout the country. The first element was a complete overhaul of the commercial vehicle roadworthiness testing system to provide a multi-strand approach. This was to be achieved by addressing the testing process to ensure roadworthiness tests are conducted impartially and correctly at all times and developing a programme of roadside inspections to ensure continuous compliance with roadworthiness standards. Further measures include the introduction of operator premises checks and intelligence-led targeting of responsibility for the management and operation of the commercial vehicle testing system.

The two elements are linked and necessary to meet the overall objective of the transformation programme which will improve the quality of commercial vehicles using our roads and thereby help to improve road safety, reduce congestion, ensure fair competition, develop a greater awareness of road safety issues and promote a culture of safety in the transport industry in respect of the use and maintenance of commercial vehicles, including trailers. It has been claimed that commercial pressures have led some operators to cut corners in vehicle maintenance and compliance with the required vehicle standards, thus providing such operators with an unfair commercial advantage.

In terms of safety, an estimated 17.5% of road fatalities on Irish roads in the period from 1996 to 2010 involved commercial vehicles. An improvement in the roadworthiness of such vehicles will not only save lives but also result in substantial savings to the State. The avoidance of at least four fatal or 25 serious injury collisions per annum involving commercial vehicles would more than cover the operational cost. I emphasis, however, that the avoidance of loss, injury and pain for the families involved will be the real benefit.

Another major contribution of the reform is to reduce congestion caused by breakdowns of commercial vehicles. It is estimated that up to 10% of congestion on primary roads is caused by such incidents and vehicles that are not compliant with roadworthiness testing systems are considered to make a significant contribution to the problem. Based on UK estimates of the economic impact of such incidents, the cost to Ireland of congestion caused by commercial vehicle breakdowns could be in the range of €1 billion to €2 billion per annum. Avoiding even a small number of such incidents, for example, on the M50 or in the Dublin Port tunnel, would deliver considerable economic gains.

The objective of the Bill is to introduce a reform programme that will improve the roadworthiness and safety of commercial vehicles and provide for the introduction of a plastic card driving licence system with more efficient and effective management arrangements. This is a positive part of the reform agenda.

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