by Alan Jacques
FIANNA Fail councillor Richard O’Donoghue is all revved up about vintage tractors.
The Government jump-starting plans to introduce mandatory testing on all trucks and vehicles, costing €200 per vehicle, regardless of age, has the Adare-Rathkeale representative firing on all cylinders.
He believes this test totally disregards the fact that vintage vehicles are only used three or four times annually and are used predominantly in charity events where monies are raised for organisations that the Government cannot or will not fund.
“Charity runs and events organised by vintage clubs raise much needed funds for many needy charities each year. The cost of holding these events and the costs of restoring and maintaining vehicles that take part in such events is borne solely and silently by the members of the vintage clubs without assistance from the Government,” Cllr O’Donoghue claimed.
“Yet, the Government think so little of this huge contribution that they now insist on introducing this test on vehicles that will heap further expense on the owners and will surely spell the end of the road for many,” he added.
Rather than imposing a charge on vintage vehicles, Cllr O’Donoghue is calling for a state-funded visual check on vehicles to cover lights, steering, brakes and tyres that will satisfy testers that the vehicles are fit-for-purpose for charity runs and events.
