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May 19, 2005
IRU Academy Seminar highlights need to delay Digital Tachograph introduction
Tallinn - The IRU Academy* staged its second international seminar on the theme "Are you ready for the Implementation of the Digital Tachograph on 5 August 2005" in Tallinn on 18 May 2005. The 150 participants from across Europe and Asia heard senior decision-makers and industry leaders confirm that the European Union has not yet agreed the driving and rest times the new apparatus is supposed to record and that many EU Member States will not have the necessary infrastructure in place in time.
IRU President Paul Laeremans said: "Manufacturers and road transport operators are doing their best to prepare, but the EU's inability to agree on new driving and rest time rules means that all the work that has gone into getting the hardware ready is rendered useless, because the software cannot be finalised. To make matters worse, the necessary administrative, legislative and logistical arrangements will not be ready in all EU Member States, which further adds to the confusion."
He continued: "The European Parliament acknowledged this by voting to delay introduction of the digital tachograph until 5 August 2006 for new vehicles and 5 August 2007 for new registrations. Under the circumstances, it is irresponsible for the European Commission and EU Transport Ministers to insist blindly on sticking to the 2005 introduction timetable. The digital tachograph should help enforce road safety rules; implementing it chaotically sends out the opposite message and risks undermining respect for the rule of law within the EU - at a time when it is essential to harmonise the implementation and enforcement of EU legislation across the entire Union."
Speaking at the Seminar, Gudula Schwan, Deputy Head of the Roadside Inspection Department of the German Federal Goods Transport Office (BAG), commented: "We should not underestimate the scale of the challenge for inspection services posed by the Digital Tachograph. There is a lot of preparation to do, including training of staff. In addition, the analysis software is still under development and we have to prepare for a transitional period including experimental implementation steps."
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* The IRU Academy, the training arm of the IRU, strengthens road transport through improved training. It develops international, harmonised, competence-based training standards and programmes. Endorsed by the World Bank, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT), the European Commission, the European Transport Workers Federation (ETF) and the European Training Foundation (ETF), the IRU Academy provides international recognition of excellence in training via its international network of Accredited Training Institutes (ATIs), and uses IRU Academy Diplomas and Certificates to confirm individuals' learning achievements. The IRU Academy now has 31 ATIs in 29 countries, primarily in Europe but with a growing presence in Asia. ATIs currently offer the IRU Academy programme for the Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) for the Road Transport Manager, but a new programme for the Dangerous Goods (ADR) Driver is being finalised.
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