Road transport: harmonization of social legislation (implem. regul. 3820/85/EEC). 1991-1992 report

In adopting the report by Mr Marcel SCHLECHTER (PSE, L) on the implementation of the social legislation relating to road transport, Parliament called for the number of working days checked to be made uniform throughout the Community, with a target of a fixed level of 2% (rather than 1%, as currently provided for). Concerned at the significant number of serious accidents which are to a large extent attributable to human error resulting from extreme fatigue, Parliament called on the Commission to instigate new legislation designed to reduce the maximum limits on driving time laid down in Regulation 382/85/EEC. It hoped that the Commission would give due consideration to non-driving periods on duty and that it would incorporate all the occupational activities of drivers into social legislation in order to create uniform competitive conditions for all road transport operators. Parliament took the view that the general safety of road users was at stake, as well as the health and safety of the drivers themselves. Parliament insisted that more uniform fines having a deterrent effect should be imposed (so as to ensure that the cost of breaking the law exceeded the financial gain therefrom) and noted that there were major disparities in the number and the nature of the checks carried out in the various Member States. Parliament welcomed the imminent introduction of inviolable electronic chronotachographs, which would constitute an important means of control, and called upon the Commission to investigate possible use of technology such as that used in automatic road tolls as a means of recording driver information on a continuous basis. Lastly, Parliament pointed out that there had been a considerable delay in the drawing up of the 1993-94 report on the subject and called for it to be prepared without delay. That report should contain more consistent and comprehensive data and efforts would have to be made by the Member States' authorities to improve the quality of the information forwarded to the Commission, which should be provided with consistent and mutually comparable data. �