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Study urges caution on cabotage

[ October 29, 2014   //   ]

A study by the European Parliament calls for morer harmonisation of social and work conditions in road transport before allowing further liberalisation of road cabotage. Without it, there is a serious risk that the success of hauliers would depend not on their efficiency, but their ability to get access, legally or illegally, to the most favourable labour provisions, says reads the report, due to be presented to the Transport Committee on 3 November. It points out that the wide variation in drivers’ employment and work conditions in the EU has led to a spate of ‘letterbox companies’ and false self-employment conditions for drivers.

Opening up of cabotage should be a gradual, managed process where liberalisation and harmonisation of the rules are carried out together says the reporting adding that more effort should be made to fight fraud and ensuring that rules are obeyed.

The report says that more thorough liberalisation of road haulage would however improve efficiency and cut transport costs.

 

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