On the A4 motorway, inspectors from the Legnica branch of the Lower Silesian Road Transport Inspection stopped a Belarusian vehicle for inspection. It was transporting more than 19 tonnes of tobacco leaf from France to Russia. The Inspectorate:
Under the Act on the system for monitoring road transport of goods, SENT, tobacco leaf must be reported for transport. No such report had been submitted. In view of the situation and within the scope of their powers, the inspectors referred the case to officers of the National Revenue Administration.
This was not the only violation uncovered by this service on the A4:
- In the vehicle of a Lithuanian haulier, which was transporting agricultural machinery from Belgium to Lithuania, inspectors found two large cracks in the front wheel’s brake disc, posing a risk of rupture during braking. (The vehicle registration certificate was retained and a ban on further travel was issued).
- A four-axle lorry transporting loose material from a construction site to a landfill was stopped for inspection. The material was not properly secured with a tarpaulin. Lumps of mixed soil and stones lay on the unrolled tarpaulin positioned along the side of the cargo body and could fall from the vehicle at any moment. (Moreover, the lorry did not display the legally required sign reading “WASTE”, and the driver failed to produce the required transport document.) It also emerged that the vehicle’s actual gross weight was 41.5 tonnes, exceeding the permitted gross vehicle weight by 7.5 tonnes.
Road Transport Inspection:
As a result, the drivers were issued penalty notices. Inspectors initiated administrative proceedings against the hauliers, the transport manager at the company and the cargo loader.