The European Commission has adopted new EU standards and procedures to support the development of a network of safe and secure truck parking areas across the EU. The initiative aims to improve comfort conditions for drivers, and protect them from violence and freight crimes.
European Transport Commissioner Adina Valian said: “Our road network lacks sufficient safe and secure parking spaces. Today we are taking concrete steps to ensure that professional drivers in the European Union are able to work and rest in good conditions along European roads. The standards we are adopting today, in addition to ensuring drivers have access to all necessary facilities, will also enable operators to determine the level of security they need for their cargo. It complements our proposal to review the Trans-European Transport Network, where we ask Member States to ensure that there are safe parking areas along the TEN-T network, at a distance of no more than 100 kilometres. The importance of professional drivers to society cannot be overstated. “It is necessary to provide them with decent and safe working conditions.”
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New EU standards classify parking areas according to four security levels: bronze, silver, gold and platinum. This will allow operators to choose the level of security they need depending on the value of the goods they are carrying.
The security standard is determined by the security of 1) perimeter, 2) parking area, 3) entry/exit points and 4) personnel procedures. For example, a certified bronze parking zone can secure the site with video surveillance of certain areas, while a platinum parking zone is monitored by on-site staff at all times, using additional security measures, such as license plate recognition technology at entry points. And get out.
Regardless of the level of security, a secure parking area must also ensure that drivers have access to all necessary facilities, such as showers, toilets, facilities for purchasing food and beverages, and Internet connectivity.
