More countries introduce temporary derogations from the provisions of Regulation 561/2006
Romania and Italy have decided to follow the example of Poland and Denmark.
Romania
Temporary derogation from driving times, breaks and rest periods for drivers set out in Regulation (EC) No. 561/2006, for a period of 30 days from March 15 to April 13 applies to the carriage by road of goods by vehicles with a permissible total weight of more than 3.5 tons, in the following ways:
a) the daily driving time can be extended from 9 to 11 hours;
b) the weekly driving time can be extended from 56 to 60 hours;
c) the total driving time for two consecutive weeks can be extended to 96 hours
d) the maximum driving time before a break is required has been extended from 4h30mins to 5h30 mins
e) drivers are allowed take the regular weekly rest in the cabin of the vehicle.
Drivers must also note on the back of their tachograph charts or printouts from a digital tachograph the reasons why they are exceeding the normally permitted limits.
Italy
In order to facilitate humanitarian aid for Ukraine, the Italian Directorate for Road Safety and Road Transport issued a note on March 11, which explains two important points: driving and rest times, and permits for international transport of goods and passengers.
- driving times and rest periods: lit. d) Art. 3 of Regulation no. 561/2006 states that the requirement to comply with driving times and rest periods does not apply to road transport performed by “vehicles, including vehicles used in the non-commercial transport of humanitarian aid, used in emergencies or rescue operations”;
- permits for the carriage of goods and passengers: Article 14 of the agreement between Italy and Ukraine of 3 February 1988 contains an exemption from the requirement of obtaining a bilateral permit only in the case of “the carriage of items that are essential for medical treatment in the event of an emergency, especially in the event of natural disasters\", which may include other types of materials such as blankets, necessities, etc.
