BRATISLAVA, October 14, (WEBNOVINY) — The National Labor Inspectorate gets a new instrument to enforce fines for violations of social legislation in road transport. In case a driver of a vehicle refuses to pay a fine for a violation on the spot, inspectors will be authorized to order the driver to park the vehicle weighing over 3.5 tons at a designated parking facility. The vehicle will remain there until the fine is paid. “The National Labor Inspectorate will thus acquire an effective tool to claim fines from international drivers following the example of other EU member states,” said spokesman of the National Labor Inspectorate Igor Holeczy.
Sufficient number of guarded parking facilities will be prepared in all regions of Slovakia. Drivers will be allowed to leave the facility only after settling the fine and all fees related to vehicle’s parking, elaborated Holeczy and underscored that the change in regulation applies to both Slovak and foreign drivers.
Together 1,921 drivers from abroad were checked on roads in the first half of the year while 1,756 deficiencies were detected. Inspectors imposed fines totaling EUR 83,000 on Slovak and foreign haulage companies and drivers. “We expect the new competence to enhance enforceability of tickets imposed on the spot. This enforceability has been very low in the past,” said Director General of the National Labor Inspectorate Jana Popovicova. Slovakia was one of the last EU member states to have implemented the authority to order laying up a vehicle for a supervisory body checking observance of social legislation related to transport.
The National Labor Inspectorate controls drivers of vehicles above 3.5 tons, i.e. drivers of trucks and buses. Checks are focused on observance of social legislation related to transport, for example maximum limits of drive duration, observance of compulsory breaks and rest. Foreign drivers have often been refusing to settle a fine that NIP inspectors impose on them for violation of regulations before. Collection of a fine was very complicated and uneconomical with low fines. Foreign drivers have thus often avoided paying fines in the past. Foreign drivers account for almost a half of all drivers that inspectors check.
Holeczy further informed that NIP will also aspire to increase fines for violations. While the maximum fine that Slovak inspectors can impose on a driver for violation of regulations is EUR 165, for example in Hungary the fine in the same case can reach up to EUR 1,600.
SITA
