WRITTEN EXAM IN LGV TEST New 'troubles'
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for Belfast CVs
by Lee Kimber • As Northern Ireland celebrates the first anniversary of the peace initiative, hauliers are finding it harder to operate in Belfast than at the height of the troubles.
Having coped with years of restriction due to security measures, they have been hit with a total ban on CVs in the city centre between 11:00-18:00hrs.
More than 20 angry operators a day are phoning the police to complain about the ban. But the Department of Environment says the move will improve Belfast's environment and it is ignoring the protests.
"Quite frankly, it's a complete shambles," says Express Parcels managing director Michael Mitchell, who has been forced to use two trucks to make deliveries formerly handled by one. "It's meant addi tional costs and it will have an effect somewhere down the line on customers."
Freight Transport Association highways and traffic controller Don McIntyre fears that the ban will damage the city's economic recovery—he wants the DoE to suspend its action, at least until hauliers have had time to work out alternative arrangements.
"Until this scheme was introduced the security forces operated the restrictions," he says. They were operated with commonsense and flexibility."
The Royal Ulster Constabulary says that uniformed officers are allowed to use their discretion over daytime deliveries and many officers are allowing trucks that enter the city before 11:00hrs to keep working there after the ban comes into force.