The European association of abnormal road transport and mobile cranes (ESTA) has doubled down on its proposed reforms to ensure that they are pushed through. The association has also backed new rules to help increase young truck driver numbers.
Key to ESTA’s agenda was the proposed reforms to the EU’s Weights and Dimensions Directive (96/53), which includes guaranteeing that the special European registration for trucks and trailers (SERT) is adopted across the continent.
Other measures include a ‘one stop shop’ per country for permits; standardised permit application forms; use of electronic permits; harmonisation of escorting rules and vehicle markings; a ban on language requirements for drivers; and for permitting systems to be available in all EU languages.
ESTA expects said changes to the directive to be implemented by the upcoming Danish presidency in July, which takes over from the current Polish leadership that ends in June. Meetings with relevant MEPs and officials were held, to reinforce the association’s objectives.
“The meetings were extremely useful in giving us the opportunity to state our case in person and to stress the importance of the reforms not just for our members but for the wider European industries that use our service,” said ESTA director, Ton Klijn. “We remain cautiously optimistic that the reforms will, eventually, be delivered.”
With a shortage of professional truck and van drivers across Europe, ESTA has had new rules on driving permits and related regulations across the EU provisionally agreed by the European Council and European Parliament.
This includes the minimum age for a driver to obtain a truck licence being lowered from 21 to 18, and for a bus driving licence from 24 to 21, given the applicant holds a certificate of professional competence. Young drivers aged 17 and older will be allowed to drive trucks under the supervision of an experienced driver too – with each EU country deciding whether this measure is introduced in their national legislation. Digital driving licences will be introduced, while drivers’ minimum fitness levels will be reviewed.
Members states’ representatives within the council, along with the European Parliament, will need to endorse this provisional agreement. If it is endorsed, the revised directive will be active 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the EU, with member states then enacting the directive into national legislation.
“We would prefer that the accompanied driver scheme is uniformly enforced across all member states – leaving it to local governments to decide whether to adopt it or not will simply lead to unnecessary confusion and reduce its potentially positive impact on driver numbers,” added Klijn.
