Traffic chaos warning for Dublin as truckers prepare for second protest

It is expected hundreds of vehicles will descend on Dublin city centre around 7am on Monday morning to highlight growing discontent among truckers and hauliers at current fuel prices.

The protest is planned to be a 24-hour event with an organising page on social media advising participants to bring sleeping bags and “plenty of food and water”.

The group has called on the Government to take action to reduce the cost of fuel, which many hauliers have said has rendered their businesses unviable.

Meeting points have been established along many of the main arteries into Dublin on Monday morning with convoys of trucks expected to travel from as far away as Cork and Dublin to partake in the protest.

GardaÍ confirmed to Independent.ie that they are aware of a planned protest in Dublin on Monday and said: “An Garda Síochána will have an appropriate and proportionate plan in place to police this protest”.

“I hope we are all ready for Monday, the numbers look massive. Trucks, Tractors, Buses, Cars and Vans and of course all the members of the public that are coming to show support,” the Irish Truckers and Hauliers Association Against Fuel Prices said in a Facebook post.

The group has called for hard shoulders to be left free for emergency vehicles - and said participating trucks should not occupy the fast lane on motorways.

A similar protest two weeks ago caused major disruption in the capital, especially on the M50 and around Dublin Port and organisers have indicated more vehicles will partake in Monday’s upcoming protest.

Independent Limerick TD Richard O’Donoghue has been a vocal supporter of the protests and called on Government to “give a little back” to truckers for their hard work during the pandemic by reducing the excise claimed on fuel by the Government.

Mr O’Donoghue told the Dáíl this week that he has been contacted by farmers that said they will also be participating in Monday’s protest.

Deputy O’Donoghue said Government should have capped the level of taxation on fuel so that people would only be paying the price increase on fuel and not increased taxation also on top of it.

“We have the farmers on their knees and the truck industry on their knees and ye are going to see this week they are all going to protest for your failure to protect the people of Ireland,” Deputy O’Donoghue said to Taoiseach Micheál Martin in the Dáil.

The Taoiseach said government will look at ways to help “householders” reduce their electricity bills, which are increasing as a consequence of increased energy costs globally.

Independent.ie have contacted Irish Truckers and Hauliers Association Against Fuel Prices for comment.