Hungarian state, financed by illegal fines for Romanian hauliers

The National Union of Road Hauliers from Romania (UNTRR) complains about the „discriminatory” treatment Romanian drivers are subjected to in Hungary.

„Under the pretext of routine controls regarding the road traffic safety, the Hungarian authorities sanction abusively, especially Romanian hauliers (…) It can be asserted the Hungarian state itself is getting financed in the detriment of Romanian road hauliers, through fines without legal support – two to four times bigger or illegal fines for inexistent reasons, collected on the spot (trucks are being blocked until the payment of fines)”, a UNTRR communiqué indicates, quoted by Romanian news agency Mediafax.

According to UNTRR, the Hungarian authorities suggest to those who consider themselves innocent to take the fines to court. The fines range from 800 to 2,000 euros.

„Taking into consideration that 95% of the Romanian hauliers’ international transport operations are inter-communitarian and 90% of those have Western European partners, having to transit Hungary, there is the need for emergency measures to bring the treatment applied by the Hungarian authorities to the Romanian hauliers to normal parameters”, the communiqué notes.

Two other associations, namely the Romanian Transport Operators federation (FORT) and the Europa 2002 Patronage Association (APTE 2002), have complained in summer 2009 of „abuses” that Hungarian authorities commit in their relationship with Romanian truck drivers.