WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1856/96 by Florus WIJSENBEEK to the Commission. Weekend driving bans in Hungary
Date: 1996-07-05
Institutions: European Parliament, WIJSENBEEK
Subjects: Hungary, commercial vehicle, customs, pollution control measures, public holiday, road traffic, traffic control, transport regulations













EUR-Lex - 91996E1856 - EN






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91996E1856

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1856/96 by Florus WIJSENBEEK to the Commission. Weekend driving bans in Hungary  


Official Journal C 365 , 04/12/1996 P. 0045 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-1856/96 by Florus Wijsenbeek (ELDR) to the Commission (5 July 1996)Subject: Weekend driving bans in HungaryIs the Commission aware that since 1 June 1996 there has been a ban on the driving of trucks in Hungary at the weekend, which according to the Hungarians is intended to reduce damage to the environment, and that customs officers on both sides of the border were already refusing to let trucks through well before the weekend began, namely on Thursday, 6 June?Is the Commission aware that this led to a queue of hundreds of trucks forming between the border crossing points of Romania and Hungary, and that as a result many truck-drivers, including about a hundred from the Netherlands, were compelled to wait about for hours in appalling conditions, namely in temperatures around 40° Centigrade and without sanitation or restaurant facilities?Does the Commission agree that traffic jams actually increase pollution and that spreading freight transport over the whole week helps to keep traffic on the move, thus causing less damage to the environment?With a view to the enlargement of the European Union to include Eastern European countries, where the long waiting times are caused partly by the poor training and equipment of customs officers, will the Commission ensure that, before accession, the new Member States have to provide guarantees that the borders will be as open as possible, to prevent any repetition of these conditions, which are so hard on drivers and bad for the environment?Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (17 September 1996)The Commission is aware of the problems caused by the Hungarian government's decision to ban heavy goods traffic on its territory at weekends. Using the machinery established by the Europe Agreement, the Commission will be contacting the Hungarian authorities as soon as possible to obtain a detailed account of the grounds for their decision and, where appropriate, consider alternative solutions.The Commission believes that the build-up of long tailbacks at border crossings is undesirable from all standpoints. It likewise believes that the problems in question can be resolved by a series of coordinated measures.Aware of shortcomings at several border crossings in central and eastern Europe, the Commission has launched schemes under the PHARE programme to improve them. One of the benefits will be improved traffic flow.In Hungary, PHARE is currently funding projects to rehabilitate a number of border crossings. The projects also include crossing points between Hungary and Romania, in particular Artand and Gyula. The different projects to improve infrastructure (expansion, new parking areas, customs facilities etc.), modernize facilities for customs and vehicle inspections, provide technical assistance and training are aimed at bringing the Hungarian customs system closer to the Community's.