Madam, - With a membership of 1,060, the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport is the independent professional body for those involved in logistics, air, rail, road and sea transport. The institute is not a lobby group but strives instead to take a considered overview of developments likely to affect the logistics and transport sector as a whole.
In view of the diversity of the institute's membership we have so far stayed out of the debate on the Dublin Port Tunnel. However, the argument appears to have reached the stage where subjective opinion has taken over from rational discussion.
Over the past eight months or so there has been much debate about the tunnel's suitability for the next generation of heavy goods vehicles. Most of this debate is taking place in the media, leading to fears that the viability of the tunnel is under threat from ill-informed and emotional comment.
The institute believes that those responsible for the tunnel's planning, design and building must be very certain that it will meet the needs of its users for its future life-span.
We therefore recommend that the Department of Transport should urgently engage the services of independent consultants to carry out an assessment of future trends in the design and capacity of HGVs and a subsequent objective reappraisal of the tunnel's dimensions. These consultants must be seen to be independent so that their conclusions will be accepted by the primary stakeholders (Dublin City Council, the Department of Transport, the Transport Users Group of Dublin Port, Irish Road Haulage Association etc.) as well as by the media and the citizens of Dublin's northside.
If the consultants find that a certain percentage of trucks may be unable to use the tunnel in the future, then urgent action needs to be taken by the city authorities, with the agreement of the industry, to come up with alternative routes so that those trucks can get to their destinations efficiently and with least inconvenience to other road users and the people of Dublin. - Yours, etc.,
PHILIP MAHONY,
Chief Executive,
Chartered Institute of
Logistics and Transport,
Fitzwilliam Place,
Dublin 2.