ITF calls for urgent investment in safe, secure and dignified rest areas as part of Safe Rates
The Belgian Transport Workers’ Union (BTB-ABVV) has released the 11th edition of its Black Book on motorway parking areas in Belgium, once again sounding the alarm on unsafe, overcrowded and inadequate conditions for professional lorry, bus and coach drivers.
The Black Book was launched yesterday (5 October) at four motorway parking areas across Belgium. The report is based on visits to more than 50 parking areas in Belgium and abroad, and on a survey of over 400 drivers, highlights the same recurring failures: a lack of spaces, a lack of safety, and a lack of comfort.
“This new black is yet another cry for help to policymakers,” said Tom Peeters, Deputy Federal Secretary BTB Road Transport and Logistics. “But at the same time, it is also a guide for anyone who wants to build a fair and humane parking policy, because our heroes of the road deserve better.”
Parking and Safe Rates: the missing link
The Black Book makes clear that poor parking conditions are not just a question of convenience but of health and safety. Fatigued drivers are more likely to be involved in accidents, while insecure sites expose them to theft, harassment and even violence. (....)