The Dutch Member of the European Parliament Peter van Dalen organised a meeting on safe truck parking areas in Europe. Theft from trucks is still increasing and sometimes drivers are intimidated during these criminal actions. At the same time parking lots at highways and in industrial areas can be overcrowded with drivers resting, cooking and sleeping. In certain cases the public encounters nuisance from these activities. Some Member States like Belgium forbid the long weekend rest in the truck. This enhances problems in neighbouring countries as lorries are crossing the border just before the weekend.
For shippers, it is important that during rest periods trucks are not left alone as this increases the risk of theft. Guarded parking areas are important to enable drivers and cargo to be safe during resting periods. At the same time drivers should be stimulated to use the safe parking area, even if it should be paid. A way out could be to earmark part of their daily allowance for this purpose instead of paying a lump sum.
ESC supports the use of TEN-T money for resolving the parking problems. It seems that 100 million Euro is still available. Legislation to regulate parking should be maintained in order to prevent excesses and nuisance for the public. Mr van Dalen promised to keep an eye on the challenges and to organise a follow-up meeting.