TRANSPORT > GEORGIA

How many
hours a day should
a truck driver work?
When it comes to
road transport safety, Georgia www.enpi-info.eu
is progressing fast. In 2010, the use of seat
belts for front passengers became compulsory. Now the
country has launched the accession procedure to the International
Road Transport Agreement (AETR), which makes mandatory the N A truck on the road, close
to the Georgian capital.
use of digital tachographs for trucks. This checking device records a
vehicle’s speed and is used to regulate drivers’ working time and rest
periods. The EU–funded Land Transport Safety and Security (LTSS)
project is supporting Georgia in its efforts to comply with international
regulations and, overall, to make road transport safer.
Text and photos by Maia Edilashvili

This publication does
not represent the
official view of the EC
or the EU institutions.
The EC accepts no
responsibility or liability
whatsoever with regard
to its content.
Tbilisi – “The seat belts are working: the 2010 figures show the number of acci-
dents and injuries declining by 7.5% compared to the previous year.” Since last De-
cember, the use of seat belts has become compulsory for front seat passengers in
Georgia. And according to Eka Laliashvili – head of the board of the NGO Georgian
Alliance for Safe Roads – even this short period has saved many lives on Georgia’s
roads.
The country has quite a high rate of traffic fatalities: today, the main challenge is
to change culture and attitudes. “Excess speed, excess alcohol and no seatbelts –
these are very big issues, and not only for Georgia,” notes John Field,
project manager of the LTSS, the EU supported “Land Transport Safe- ENPI Info Centre – Feature no. 44
ty and Security project”. “So it’s very important to explain to people This is a series of features on
that there are risks, and that such risks can be reduced by their own projects funded by the EU’s Regional
Programme, prepared by journalists
behavior. I think that enforcement is not the only way out: it is very and photographers on the ground
important to raise awareness.” or the ENPI Info Centre.
© 2011 ENPI Info Centre / EU
 How many hours a day should a truck driver work? p. 2
ENPI Info Centre – Feature no. 44

Driving a maximum of 9 hours a day…

Raising awareness of transport safety and security standards and regula-
“It’s very
tions among the wider public, is one of the top goals of LTSS. The project
important
also aims at assisting countries to harmonize the relevant rules and pro-
to explain to
cedures with international and EU conventions.
people that
LTSS is nowadays focusing on digital tachographs, which Field sees as an
there are risks,
immediate necessity for every country. The European Agreement deal-
and that such
ing with the work of Crews of Vehicles engaged in International Road
risks can be
Transport Agreement (AETR) was adopted in 1970. Currently, all EU and
reduced by their
N Eka Laliashvili. own behavior”
TRACECA countries bar Georgia, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, are party to the Agree-
ment. From 16 June, 2010 the agreement has introduced the mandatory use of
digital tachographs in all contracting countries for trucks carrying a total weight of
over 3.5 tonnes, and vehicles carrying at least 9 passengers.
“Digital The digital tachograph is a checking device, which records a vehicle’s speed and
tachographs whether it is moving or stationary. Tachographs control that drivers are
are the only not at the wheel for more than a maximum of 9 hours, extendable to 10
mechanisms hours no more than twice a week. It also records if a break of at least 45
to control that minutes is taken after no more than 4.5 hours of driving. “This issue is
a driver does very serious, particularly for long-distance drivers, as there is a tempta-
not work 10-11 tion to drive without a rest,” Field explains.
hours a day,
which sometimes Digital tachographs are compulsory to drive abroad
happens as From January 1st this year, all heavy vehicles registered in Georgia must
both the driver have digital tachographs to be allowed to go abroad, while the drivers must hold N Elizbar Darchiashvili.
and company personal cards to operate the tachographs.
seek to get to Georgia, not yet being a member of AETR, cannot for the moment issue such cards.
the destination “So Georgian drivers of newly registered vehicles cannot participate in internation-
as quickly as al deliveries,” explains Zaza Avaliani, Deputy Head at Road Transport Department
possible” of United Transport Administration (UTA), the state body in charge of transport
issues, which has been advocating Georgian accession to AETR for many years.
For Gogita Kerkadze, Manager of Heavy Deliveries at “Georgian Express”,
DHL’s official agent in Georgia, “digital tachographs are essential”. His
company has recently bought a new truck for €100,000 but has to keep
it out of operation until Georgia joins AETR. “Digital tachographs are the
only mechanisms to control that a driver does not work 10-11 hours a
day, which sometimes happens as both the driver and company seek
to get to the destination as quickly as possible. This increases hazards,”
Kerkadze comments. N Mamuka Mnatobishvili, a
Mamuka Mnatobishvili, 30, has been working with Georgian Express for truck driver.
N Zaza Avaliani. four years. He thinks that tachographs are very important in terms of security and
“a good way to control a company and a driver”. Khvicha Papunashvili, a Georgian
driver engaged in cargo transpor-
tation, is also positive about the
introduction of compulsory digital
tachographs, though “it is just a
part of a bigger problem,” he adds,
referring to road conditions and
excessive speed.
Elizbar Darchiashvili, UTA senior
official responsible for security is-
sues, says that the Georgian gov-
ernment has launched the acces-

ENPI Info Centre – Feature no. 44
N A truck driving in Tblisi.
Land Transport Safety and Security (LTSS, TRACECA)
The project improves transport safety and security in the Eastern neighbour countries
and Central Asian TRACECA Partner countries, in line with European standards
in the field of land transport.
http://www.traceca-ltss.eu/index.php?a=main&pid=167&lang=eng
Participating countries
Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Georgia, Moldova,
Ukraine, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,
Uzbekistan. Bulgaria,
Romania, Turkey
closely associated
Timeframe
2009-2011
Budget
€ 2,997,000
ENPI info centre
How many hours a day should a truck driver work? p. 3
sion procedure, understanding how critical the situation is. “When applying, we
will be asking for a two-year transition period because technical matters – issuing
cards, controlling mechanisms etc. – will take time.”
And this is where the LTSS Project comes in, with its support to national authorities
“Many countries
for the smooth introduction of regulations in line with international requirements.
have agreed to
Field says that in each country a working group is set up to come up with specific
join AETR, but
don’t have the
solutions. “Many countries have agreed to join AETR, but don’t have the capability
to actually implement what
capability to
they need to do. We pro-
implement what
vide technical assistance
they need to do.
through this project.”
We support them
For Zaza Avaliani, the sup-
through this
port offered by the LTSS
project”
project is an essential con-
tribution. “The future of
Georgia’s land transport
depends on these develop-
ments.”
Objective
The project aims to improve land transport safety and security regulations in the EU neighbouring and
Central Asian countries in line with European standards, through strengthening the administrative capacities
of the national authorities charged with regulating the transport safety and security environments, and
improving the knowledge and skills of the individual staff. The project also raises awareness of transport
safety and security standards and regulations amongst the wider public.
Find out more
The ENPI Info Centre fiche on the LTSS project www.enpi-info.eu/maineast.php?id=213&id_type=10
The ENPI Info Centre fiche on the TRACECA programme www.enpi-info.eu/maineast.php?id=272&id_type=10
LTSS project website www.traceca-ltss.eu
TRACECA programme website www.traceca-programme.eu/en/home/
The ENPI Info Centre is an EU-funded Regional
Information and Communication project
highlighting the partnership between the EU
and Neighbouring countries. The project is
managed by Action Global Communications.
www.enpi-info.eu