For the government, the goal is for everyone to have a decent and secure working life. Those who work in the road transport sector must have good working conditions. I am therefore pleased that we will now harmonize the Norwegian rules with the EU Mobility Package. This means there will be new rules on driving and rest time for drivers, the use of tachographs in vehicles and rules on professional and market access to the road transport market, says Transport Minister John Ivar Nygaard.
The new regulations are part of the “social part” of the mobility package, which was included in the European Economic Area Agreement on March 18. Before the new rules can be implemented in Norway, changes must be made to the Road Traffic Act and the Commercial Transport Act. Today the government’s proposal for legislative amendments has been sent to Parliament. When Parliament has finished the issue, the new rules should be put into the bylaws.
New rules for trucks in international transport
There will be new rules for those driving international transport with trucks with a permissible gross weight of more than 2500 kg.
– For transportation with these vehicles, compliance with the license, driving rules, rest time, tourist navigation rules and the obligation to have a tachograph in the car will be provided. We will also ask the Norwegian Public Roads Administration to investigate the possibility of introducing rules for trucking into local transport, Nygaard says.
Travel home requirements for drivers and theme parks
New requirements will be established for how carriers organize their activities. Employers will have to make arrangements for the driver to be able to travel home within the four-week period. Vehicles in international transport will also have to return to the operations center in their home country at least every 8 weeks.
Tightening the rules of coastal navigation. For the cargo yard, as before, three missions can be done in seven days, but a four-day “freeze period” will be introduced after the last mission where foreign vehicles cannot make coastal trips in Norway, Nygaard says.
The tachograph must verify several rules
A tachograph is a device that is installed in vehicles and is currently used to check driving rules and rest time.
– According to the new rules, the tachograph must also be able to be used to check the rules for cars and the working hours of drivers. It will record new information, such as border crossings. This will be a useful tool for the censorship authorities, says Nygaard.