Polish tachograph expert Christoph Nowak delivered a three-day course for representatives of Montenegro’s Ministry of Internal Affairs on professional-driver rules and inspections. Nowak said consistent enforcement of European regulations and the ability to detect tachograph manipulation are important for road safety and fairer business conditions for carriers.
The training also involved Montenegrin inspectors and police officers. It covered drivers’ working hours, European Union requirements, smart tachographs and oversight. Nowak specialises in tachographs and the social regulations that apply to professional drivers.
Those rules affect transport across borders: Montenegrin carriers use European roads, while foreign carriers use Montenegro’s infrastructure. Nowak said control bodies in different countries face similar attempts to exceed permitted driving times and manipulate records, regardless of whether a vehicle comes from Montenegro, Poland or elsewhere. Consistent enforcement and practical skills in recognising and preventing irregularities can, he said, protect drivers and other road users while supporting equal conditions for domestic and international carriers.
The expert support is provided through the project “Technical Assistance for Capacity Building and Improvement of Legal Harmonisation, Performance and Efficiency in the Transport Sector in Montenegro”, carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport. The European Union finances the project, which a consortium led by DAI Global Belgium implements in partnership with GIZ and ENOVA.
Driver records and inspection risks
A central part of the course dealt with social rules in road transport, particularly professional drivers’ driving and rest times and the detection of manipulated tachograph records. Nowak described tampering as more than unfair competition: he said it presents a serious road-safety risk. Driver fatigue is one problem linked to manipulation.
Some methods of tampering can also affect ABS and other driver-support systems, according to Nowak. If those systems do not operate as intended, the consequences can be very serious, especially during sudden braking. He said inspectors need both the knowledge and the equipment to detect different forms of manipulation and understand their possible effects on everyone using the road.
Knowing the legislation provides a foundation, Nowak said, but practical skills determine whether officers recognise irregularities and respond correctly during checks. He called the course an “excellent opportunity” to transfer knowledge to Montenegrin inspectors and police and improve how they apply the rules in daily work.
Montenegrin inspectors and police officers already have considerable experience, Nowak said. Still, he described continuous professional development as necessary because rules and technologies change. In Poland, regular updates for experienced inspectors form part of the professional training system.
Remote checks and consistent enforcement
Second-generation smart tachographs offer inspection services a more modern and efficient way to monitor vehicles in international transport, Nowak said. They allow certain data to be checked remotely before a vehicle is stopped. With suitable equipment, control bodies can identify information indicating possible irregularities and choose which vehicles require a closer inspection.
Inspection services in Poland, Germany and Lithuania, among other European countries, use remote checks and vehicle pre-selection. Directing officers towards vehicles showing signs of possible violations allows authorities to use inspection resources more rationally. Carriers that comply with the rules have less reason to be stopped unnecessarily, while more efficient oversight contributes to fair competition.
The current course is part of activities carried out over recent months that give Montenegrin control bodies access to the experience Poland’s Road Transport Inspectorate has gained during the previous 24 years. Nowak’s cooperation with Montenegrin institutions began in 2018, when he worked with representatives of the Ministry of Transport and inspection services. Several years ago, Montenegrin inspection representatives also visited a regional inspectorate in Poland to learn about its experience and working methods.
Polish institutions are ready to share that experience and support their Montenegrin counterparts on questions about applying the rules. Nowak noted that control bodies across Europe encounter differing interpretations of some provisions of European legislation. When questions arise, he said, inspectors can consult the European Commission and more experienced oversight institutions.
Montenegro has adopted a considerable number of laws and by-laws, making their consistent application in practice one of the most important remaining tasks, according to Nowak. He said effective oversight depends on applying clear rules consistently when inspectors find an irregularity.
