Businesspeople in Inishowen are losing out on precious time and money without a nearby Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness (CVR) test centre, a Donegal County Councillor has warned.
Cllr Albert Doherty has told the council of the plight of enterprises after the closure of the only CVRT on the peninsula in Muff some time ago.
With centres located only in Letterkenny, Donegal Town and Ballyshannon, this forces companies in Inishowen and the West of Donegal to make long journeys for the necessary services.
Cllr Doherty said the trips to Letterkenny can prove costly.
“In Carndonagh, that can be an 80 mile return, or if you’re in Malin Head, Greencastle or Shroove it can be up to 100 miles return journey,” Cllr Doherty told a plenary council meeting last week.
“One businessperson has a fleet of three and accessing the CVRT centre in Letterkenny can take three vans off the road for maybe six days of preparation and testing, involving six drivers and six days of pay he must rightly give to his workers.”
The RSA has advised that a new centre is envisaged for Newtowncunningham, but the authority said it’s not within their remit to open centres, as it is a commercial decision for private operators to make.
Cllr Doherty asked Donegal County Council to engage with the RSA to encourage additional centres in the county
“There is a gap in service, and I’m asking the council to play a significant role and to represent those in the business sector who would like a facility closer to home,” Cllr Doherty said.
In response, Brian Cannon, Director of Service for Roads, said the local authority will write to the RSA to see how alternative facilities could be encouraged. Mr Cannon acknowledged that CVRT centres are private enterprises, but highlighted that internally within the council there is the Local Enterprise Office that can assist businesses with new ventures.
