New regulations on heavy goods vehicles will come into force from May 1, in Belgium. According to the document signed by the Walloon government, vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of up to 50 tonnes will be able to move on the roads of this region.
The Walloon Entrepreneurs Union (UWE) reported that in order to drive a 50-ton truck on the roads in this region the vehicle must be equipped with a three-axle tractor unit and a three-axle trailer. In addition, it needs to meet a number of technical requirements.
This proposal presented by the Walloon Entrepreneurs Union is important from the point of view of road haulage, because it allows increasing the vehicle’s payload by several tons. By following a number of technical criteria, we can be sure that the impact of these vehicles on the infrastructure will be identical to the impact of vehicles weighing 44 tons on 5 axes” – comments Samuël Saelens, mobility advisor at UWE.
The new government’s decision is aimed at improving the conditions of road transport, as well as increasing the efficiency of freight transport. UWE representatives believe that the decision will also contribute to increasing the region’s logistics attractiveness and will enable carriers to improve their efficiency.
Vehicles must meet a number of technical requirements
In addition to the 6 axes required, the Regulation includes a number of technical requirements that must be met in order for the vehicle to be able to travel on the roads in Wallonia. The car must:
– meet at least the Euro 5 standard,
– be equipped with the EBS (Electronic Braking System),
– have an automatic emergency brake (AEB) and a stabilization system (RSC – Rolling Stability Control),
– be equipped with a system of testing axle loads, transmitting data to the driver’s cab.
In addition, when driving, trucks with a GVW of up to 50 tonnes will have to maintain a 50-meter distance from other vehicles with a GVW of over 3.5 t.
The unionists of the UWE are now hoping that the new regulation will be an inspiration for neighboring Flanders and that in future legislation will apply throughout the country.
Photo: Wikimedia.org/M.Minderhoud