Road Transportation in Ireland

Transportation legislation in Ireland

The Irish Transport System is in charge with the maintenance of the road and rail systems for the transportation of goods and passengers. Ireland has several legal frameworks regulating the transportation of goods and passengers. These are:

• -          the Road Traffic Act,
• -          the Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road Act.

Ireland also enforces all legal requirements imposed by the European legislation related to the transportation of goods and passengers.

If you want to open a transportation company you can request the services of our specialists in company registration in Ireland.

Regulations for transporting goods in Ireland

Irish companies transporting goods by road are required to obtain several licenses before they start operating. Among these the most important is the road haulage operator’s license. All companies carrying goods with vehicles with a maximum authorized weight over 3.5 tones are required to obtain a road haulage operator license. Irish companies involved in trading activities can apply for one of the following licenses:

• -          international road haulage operator license,
• -          ECMT (European Council of Ministers of Transport) license for the international carriage of goods within the European Union,
• -          bilateral permit for transport operations to Belarus or Russia.

Irish transportation companies will also be required to obtain a conformity of production document when carrying goods outside the country in order to prove the NOx emissions of their vehicles. The driver must also have a driver attestation.

Transportation of passengers in Ireland

Irish private companies involved in passenger transportation activities are required to apply for a road transport operator license. They must also apply for such permit if they hire Irish citizens to drive vehicles with more than 9 seats for the purpose of carrying passengers by road. Also, depending on the type of services provided, certain Irish companies will be required to apply for a route license if operating between specified terminal points.

Both road haulage and transport operator licenses are issued by the Irish Road Transport Operator Licensing Unit.

If you need help in obtaining special licenses for your transportation business you can contact our experts in company formation in Ireland.