The Land Enforcement Unit of Transport Malta raising the bar on its Enforcement

Kevin Farrugia Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Transport Malta

The Land Enforcement Unit within the Enforcement Directorate is continuing with its investment in both its members of staff as well as its assets. During the last few weeks, a number of specialised courses were organised for its Enforcement Officers specialising in two fields of enforcement, namely, those working within the Vehicle Inspectorate Unit. The unit is made up of seven Enforcement Officers, and the courses specialised on the transport of dangerous goods as well as on the digital tachograph, both sectors being governed by EU Regulations. The courses were organised with the aim to:

• improve their knowledge on the subject • keep up with both regulations governing ADR and the Digital

Tachograph • improve the inspections being done by the unit to ensure consistency and proficiency.

ADR Course

The ADR Course consisted of 5 sessions of 7 hours each which were held on the 22nd and 23rd of February, and on the 1st, 2nd and 8th of March. The course covered issues relating to the Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road and covered the following topics:

• inspections carried out on such vehicles • the inspection on driver equipment • the legislation (SL65.22) and EU

Directive (95/50/EC) regulating such inspection • the types of dangerous goods that can be carried and the specific requirements needed according to the respective type of materials, including gas and other fuels being transported

• dos and don’ts in case of an emergency or accidents which may occur when carrying such hazardous goods.

Course in the Digital Tachograph

The Tachograph course consisted of 2 sessions of 3 hours each which were held on the 9th and 10th of March. The course consisted of: • how to read the analogue and digital tachograph • various EU Directives covering the Tachograph and Driver’s working and rest period • ways to identify infringements of a tachograph by a driver Digital Tachograph is mandatory across all EU Member States and for third country drivers driving on European Union Roads, to make sure that drivers take their necessary their rest periods in order to avoid road accidents. Hefty fines are charged across EU roads for those drivers not abiding by the respective regulations.

• ways to identify infringements on tachographs by means of using mechanical equipment.

The Digital Tachograph is an important piece of equipment installed in vehicles carrying both passengers and goods. While a vehicle is being driven, it records, among other specific information, driving speeds, driving distances, and driving hours done by a single driver. The Digital Tachograph has replaced the previous analogue Tachograph. Every driver driving a vehicle having a digital tachograph installed, would need to punch in with a tachograph card before starting the journey. The Additional courses will be organised over the coming few weeks regarding other elements of enforcement and including courses relating to Roadside inspections and VRT inspections.