The parking lot in the Belgian Jabbeke, which was popular with truck drivers, was closed due to the shootout between the immigrants, which took place last week. Local transport unions criticize this security measure.
Currently, no overnight rest can be carried out in the car park on the Belgian E40 motorway in Jabbeke. For the next three months, the parking will be closed for the night (from 8 pm to 6 am). Daniël Vanhessche, the mayor of the city, informed about the introduction of the ban citing security concerns as the main reason behind the decision.
Controversies around the ban
Not only the transport organizations did not like the decision of the mayor of Jabbeke. The Belgian Minister of the Interior, Jan Jambon, also criticizes the ban. He believes that this security measure is harmful to the economy – reports the transport portal verkehrsrundschau.de.
It’s easy to just close the parking lot, but that does not solve the problem,” complains Philippe Degraef, head of the Belgian carriers organization, Febetra. He emphasizes that drivers have the right to rest in a safe place and proposes that part of the proceeds from the toll collected in Belgium should be used to secure car parks in the country. „Is it so hard?” Degraef asks rhetorically.
On the other hand, the Belgian trade union of drivers, UBT, is afraid that others will follow the example of mayor of Jabbeke and introduce similar prohibitions in the interest of truckers’ safety. Such solutions were proposed by subsequent municipalities along the E40 – Landen and Dilbeek. The only question is, where will it be possible to take legal rests then?
No funds for security
Towards the end of 2016, security guards appeared on three parking lots along the Belgian E40 highway along the coast. The decision was taken by Ben Weyts, the Belgian Minister for Transport, because of the large groups of immigrants who broke into the trucks in this region. One of the protected facilities was a parking lot in Jabbeke. After some time, funds for private guards were exhausted, and the refugees returned.
Photo: TransINFO
