[PR] Iarnród Éireann welcome vehicle height restrictions

Victor

About time that the government made this decision.

http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/news.asp?action=view&news_id=207

Iarnród Éireann welcome vehicle height restrictions by Corporate Communications
25th January 2007

Iarnród Éireann has welcomed today’s announcement by the Minister for Transport that he intends to reintroduce restrictions on truck and other vehicle heights on the road network, at a limit of 4.65 metres.

The rail company stated that the end of uncertainty and restriction to 4.65 metres would help alleviate the problem of trucks hitting bridges, with over 750 bridge strikes in the last five years.

The forthcoming requirement for all trucks to use the Dublin Port Tunnel should also ease the problem in the Dublin city area. As well as the significant safety risk, bridge strikes cause considerable delays to rail services, with an incident on Tuesday evening of this week at Amiens Street Bridge delaying tens of thousands of commuters by rail and road.

However, the company warned against complacency on awareness of bridge heights from haulage companies and individual drivers.

A spokesperson said “regardless of height restrictions, it is driver behaviour and awareness that is most important in solving this problem. While we welcome the restriction, many bridge strikes occur at lower bridges. Therefore, it is crucial that hauliers and drivers maintain awareness of the basic detail that is load heights, to prevent delays, and protect rail safety.”

Iarnród Éireann stated that it would continue to work with the Irish Road Haulage Association, Department of Transport, and Railway Safety Commission to maintain and improve awareness of load height issues.

The company will also step up its campaign of targeting offending drivers for prosecution. The spokesperson said “there is simply no excuse for any truck driver to be on the road unaware of the height of their load. It is stupid and incredibly reckless behaviour. We will pursue any driver involved in a bridge strike incident to the maximum through the courts, and will target their wallets through fines, and their ability to drive commercially through penalty points.”

Hauliers - for bridge height details, please [url=
http://www.iarnrodeireann.ie/about_us/bridge_heights.asp]click here[/url]

lostexpectation

why don't they put up those warning treases before every bridge?

although it might be unsiglty it might be worth it, although I noticed walking by the one new east wall bridge most of the chains were broken or flipped over and over and made too short to be of use.

dowlingm

important for them to work with county councils too to ensure bridge signs are accurate - or just mandate all future road-rail separation to be "rail under"