BRATISLAVA, July 8, (WEBNOVINY) — Trucks weighing over twelve tons will continue to be able to drive on second- and third- category roads in Slovakia. On Friday, parliamentary deputies omitted from the draft amendment to the Road Traffic Act the general ban for freight traffic over 12 tons from access to these roads. Hauliers had objected to the general ban, while bans will apply to specific stretches marked with road signs.
The original wording of the draft amendment was submitted by Interior Minister Daniel Lipsic (KDH). After consultations with the Association of Road Hauliers Cesmad, KDH leader and Transport Minister Jan Figel decided for a compromise in the form of designating concrete road stretches from which heavy trucks will be banned.
The traffic load on second- and third-category roads rose enormously after electronic toll collection was introduced in Slovakia for trucks on highways and dual carriageways in 2010. In order to avoid paying the toll, some truck drivers opt for regional roads, which, however are not built for such load. According to the Transport Ministry, this causes huge problems to self-governments as administrators of those roads. Cesmad claims that a the ban would be justified only on stretches parallel with the roads to which toll applies.
SITA