He was responding to concerns expressed today by the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA), which has called for a ban on tractors and slow-moving vehicles from using motorways due to safety concerns.
The IFA president said that the attempt to ban tractors has nothing to do with road safety, as implied by the IRHA. But he added that it is part of a campaign to corner the market for transporting goods on our roads.
He commented: “Tractors that travel on the motorway are equipped for speeds above 50km. Tractors with a lower speed are not allowed to travel on motorways.
“In most cases, the journey tractors are undertaking is local, so the time spent on the motorway is short. Many farm holdings are fragmented, so farmers need access to the road network.”