A long-standing problem of exporting damaged vehicles and car batteries has been progressed following work with the Steam Packet and Mezeron, a Tynwald committee has heard.
Jeff Robinson, Deputy Chief Officer at the DoI said specialised containment for shipping batteries had been purchased.
“We bought containment for shipping, generally, batteries in a safe way on the boat as well,” he said.
“That’s taken a long time, and longer than we would have liked, because obviously everyone’s taken a very precautionary approach, particularly when it’s their boat, which I understand.”
Training
He confirmed staff at the vehicle test centre had been trained. “We’ve trained people at the vehicle test centre now who can certify that the vehicle is safe, the battery is safe to travel in the vehicle.”
Training is now being extended to the private sector. “We’re now engaging in training of the private sector to get more people in the private sector trained up, mechanics trained up, so that they can certify to be shipped off island,” he said.
However, Mr Robinson said: “What I’m still not entirely clear about is what that onward route through reclamation is going to be.”