More than 150 inspectors, 18 different types of inspections and more than a hundred observers: the Albatross inspection that was organized yesterday along the E40 in Wetteren was more than spectacular. However, the results were slightly less striking than two years ago.
As a reminder, the Albatross controls are multidisciplinary: they are organized by the Federal Traffic Police, but are also supported by other control authorities such as the Social Intelligence and Investigation Service (SIOD), customs, social inspection services, the FPS Mobility, the Flemish Tax Authorities, the GOCA and the Immigration Office. Trucks are diverted to the control zone randomly or when the traffic police suspect a violation of driving and rest times. This is done using DSRC equipment that ‘reads’ the data from the digital tachograph remotely. About half of the vehicles checked had a Belgian license plate.
Of the 168 vehicles checked, 97 were in violation for one or more reasons. The percentage of violating vehicles was significantly lower than at the previous mega check that was held at the same location exactly two years ago: 57% compared to 72%. This mainly concerned violations relating to driving and rest times or the use of the tachograph, failure to meet technical requirements, securing cargo and waybills. Fines were imposed for a total amount of approximately 98,000 euros. In addition, VLABEL has collected approximately 100,000 euros in overdue traffic taxes. The social services, in turn, have drawn up twelve reports for undeclared work, illegal work or secondment.
In fairness, it must be said that the raw figures from the Federal Traffic Police only show one side of the coin. On the one hand, a large proportion of the vehicles checked were already suspected of violating driving and rest times and on the other hand, the seriousness of the violations is not stated. To give just one example: violations in the field of cargo securing are sometimes innocent. A controlled driver even explained to us that in his sector (the transport of building materials) it was simply impossible to be 100% in order.
In the interview he gave us, Kristiaan Popelier (Head of the Federal Traffic Police in East Flanders) explained to us in particular that the effectiveness of controls has improved since the arrival of the second generation “smart” tachograph, but that one piece of the puzzle is still missing: the control by the control services of the data in the various ERRU registers in which the violations per transport company are recorded.
