Truck drivers who have to drive through Belgium are having many problems with the toll boxes that have been mandatory since 1 April. Complaints surrounding the new toll are piling up. Drivers claim that the boxes do not work properly or are not available at all. TLN is inundated with complaints.
TLN spokesperson Renée Reijers told NOS that the organisation had to deploy extra people to deal with the complaints. "On Thursday and Friday we sat here continuously with four people. We don't do that anymore, but the complaints keep coming. New complaints are coming in every hour. This continued over the weekend too."
Chaos expected
Various organisations, including TLN, had already expressed their doubts about the new toll system beforehand . As expected, it is now indeed chaos in Belgium. “One of our members had ordered 85 devices, and none of the 85 worked,” says Reijers. Belgium is, for the time being, brushing off the complaints and claims that the problems lie with the haulage companies. TLN has asked Minister Schultz van Haegen to enter into discussions with Belgium, but the minister has not yet responded to this request.
Blockades
The new system also causes long traffic jams at the border. This morning too, there was a traffic jam on the A67 due to trucks. Many truck drivers do not yet have a toll box and still buy one at the border. Indeed, drivers who drive without a toll box risk a fine of 1,000 euros. Traffic jams are also caused by blockades by Walloon drivers, in protest against the Belgian government's tolls. Passenger cars are allowed to continue, trucks are stopped. How long the drivers will continue campaigning is not known. It is also not known what Belgium will do about the problems.
Editorial LogistiekProfs
