Austin Deasy
Ceist:107 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications if there is any definite proposal to introduce legislation to liberalise road transport, particularly in the road passenger area.
Written Answers. - Road Transport Liberalisation.
The Transport Act, 1986 paved the way for the liberalisation of road haulage transport and this has been accomplished at national level.
At EC level the final component in the full liberalisation of road haulage transport was agreed, subject to adoption of legal texts in due course, at the Council of Ministers meeting of 19 June 1993. This agreement involves the admission from 1 July 1998, without quantitative restrictions, of duly qualified carriers established in one member state to domestic road haulage services in any other member state and also provides for progressive easing of the existing quantitative restrictions on such operations in the interim period.
With regard to road passenger transport, I would refer the Deputy to Question No. 229 of 4 May, Volume 430 No. 2, columns 294 and 295.