Windsor Framework: non existent green lane for goods leaves hauliers asking 'can I survive' spiralling costs
A haulier has warned that the promised green lane for goods as a solution to the NI Protocol difficulties will not help most businesses.
Mark Tait, managing director of Target Transport in Randalstown, told a House of Lords committee that the mixed nature of many lorry loads coming into Northern Ireland from GB makes it impossible to declare that every item is destined for use within NI.
Announcing the Windsor Framework agreement between the UK and EU in February, the UK Government said the most significant changes to the Protocol will be a “new system of checks on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland,” and that “goods destined to stay in Northern Ireland will go through a ‘green lane’ and have far fewer checks and controls.”
The explainer added: “Goods moving on to Ireland and/or the rest of the EU will have to go through a ‘red lane’ and be subject to full controls and checks.”
Mr Tait was one of a number of interested parties from Northern Ireland addressing the Lords committee set up examine the “economic, political, legal and constitutional implications” of the Framework.
Mr Tait said: “The notion of a red and green lane is very binary. As far as haulage is concerned, there is no green lane between GB and Northern Ireland – none whatsoever. The only green lane is actually between the EU and Northern Ireland via the Republic.
"The green lane… will be a highly regulated experience at the retail end, because it will be for the retail sector only.
"Until we get more information, because we just don’t know yet, we don’t have that operational information, it looks as though we will all be locked into the red lane, and all the processes that follows from it.”
Commenting on the impact that will have on small businesses, Mr Tait said: “For a small business or three or four people like myself, that has to deal with full EU Customs declarations onto every single of item of freight that is moved in a red lane process, will be highly difficult, highly costly and, in many cases, it could mean the business asking ‘can I actually do this work’.
"It could ultimately come to, ‘can I actually survive’”.