As in previous years, Roadpol is promoting three week-long extraordinary roadside inspection campaigns for industrial vehicles and buses in 2025. The initiative, called Truck&Bus, covers all aspects of vehicles and drivers, including driving and rest periods. The first campaign of 2025 will run from Monday, 17 February, to Sunday, 23 February. The other two campaigns are scheduled to take place from 5 to 11 May and from 17 to 23 November. The inspections will be carried out by traffic police units in around thirty countries and in some cases, they will be supported by the European Labour Authority (ELA).
Data from the ELA regarding the third campaign of 2024, held in November, remains partial as it only includes checks in which ELA officials participated. However, the figures provide insight into the most common infractions related to driver working conditions. A total of 690 industrial vehicles were inspected, revealing 377 violations that resulted in fines exceeding €230,000. The inspections focused on driving and rest periods, the use of tachographs, technical compliance, cargo securing, the failure to present affixing declarations, and other required documentation. Only 73 inspections concluded without any fines being issued.
Cosmin Boiangiu, the executive director of the Authority, explained that "drivers have the right to spend their weekly rest in suitable accommodation, not in the truck cabin. They are entitled to sleep in a proper bed and have access to adequate sanitary facilities. For instance, in Belgium, we have observed drivers sleeping in inhumane conditions. We are working together with EU countries to find ways to put an end to such practices, which impact drivers' working conditions and also allow companies to compete fairly within the EU single market."
During an inspection in Slovakia, it was discovered that a driver had committed twenty-one violations of driving and rest time regulations over the previous twenty-eight days. A joint inspection in Belgium, conducted in the port city of Zeebrugge, confirmed persistent irregularities regarding weekly rest periods spent in vehicle cabins. It was found that 51% of drivers from 168 checked lorries had spent their weekly rest in their trucks.
