The Dutch Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) published statistics from the first inspections associated with a ban on regular weekly rest in the cabin. 47 drivers were fined with 1.5 thousand Euro each.
As reported by ILT, the first inspections took place at the beginning of February. This week, the Inspectorate published statistics on the activities carried out.
ILT control results
The Dutch officers carried out activities throughout the country, along the A1, A2, A16, A20, A58, A59 and A67 motorways.
According to statistics, the services have checked 221 drivers since the beginning of February. For the offense related to the newly introduced ban, 47 truckers were punished. The fine in Holland amounts to 1.5 thousand Euro.
It seems that the effectiveness of the services in the Netherlands is definitely higher than in Germany. Over the past five months, agents of the Federal Office of Commodity Transport (BAG) checked on Sunday 2,485 vehicles/drivers and found a total of 53 offenses.
The inspection showed that many drivers are well aware of the ban on spending a week’s rest in a vehicle – ILT points out. Until recently, truckers spent their 45-hour weekly rest in the Netherlands because in Western countries the ban was already in force (Germany, Belgium and France).
A 45-hour rest in the Netherlands and a judgment of the CJEU
On December 20, 2017, the EU Court of Justice ruled in the Vaditrans BVBA v Belgium case, confirming the legality of sanctions imposed by some countries in Europe on taking a regular weekly rest in a vehicle. According to the Court’s decision, Regulation (EC) 561/2006 prohibits 45-hour rest and imposes an obligation on the Member States to impose penalties for infringements of this Regulation. „Those penalties must be effective, proportionate, dissuasive and non-discriminatory, stemming from recital 26 of Regulation No 561/2006” – states the judgment.
The Dutch Environmental and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) announced the planned start of the enforcement of the ban on the day the judgment was delivered. Until the end of January, an information campaign was underway. The controls were to start at the beginning of February. The penalty for breaking the ban is 1.5 thousand Euro.
Photo: Trans.INFO