Several Belgian carriers are seeking compensation from the Satellic operator for financial losses they have suffered as a result of the incorrect operation of the OBU boxes and the cost their replacement.
This month, two years have passed since the tolls were introduced in Belgium. Due to the malfunctioning of the system including the on-board devices for handling the carriers faced many problems and had to deal with general chaos.
Belgian carriers ask for compensation
Ten Belgian carriers filed a lawsuit against the Belgian Satellic road toll operator in Brussels, the Western media reported. Entrepreneurs demand compensation from the system manager for financial losses incurred as a result of malfunctioning of the charging devices (OBU) installed in their trucks. Satellic has so far refused all claims for such compensation.
According to the Belgian press, for every faulty OBU, whose Satellic service could not be repaired remotely, companies demand from 300 to 450 euros. Some companies have exchanged up to 40 such devices. Compensation demanded by the entrepreneur is to cover the costs of drivers who in the event of a serious OBU failure had to buy a new box.
The Road Transport Association (UPTR) predicts that more carriers will join the claim. The victory of Belgian companies can open the way for European entrepreneurs to seek compensation in court for the costs incurred in this way.
Problems with Belgian toll
Information about unjustly issued fines related to the toll in Belgium and their disproportionate amount from April 2016, came almost on a daily basis. The most common OBU device errors are:
– billing different rates for the same route;
– calculating tolls for non-toll roads, parallel to, for example, the motorway;
– charging fees before a truck enters on Belgian roads.
In mid-2017, Spanish transport organizations appealed to the European Commission in this matter.
Fines up to one thousand euros are issued even every 3 hours, despite the fact that Spanish companies are registered in the Belgian road toll system, and vehicles are equipped with a device for their approval” – reported the Spanish media in July last year. Soon EU Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc called on Belgium to solve problems with the system.
Soon after, the Belgians announced lower fines. They apply from 1 January 2018. Their amounts, depending on the offense, range from one hundred to one thousand euros (you can find the tariff in English on the official Satellic website).
Photo: Wikimedia / M.Minderhoud CCA-SA 3.0