English - Nooteboom Giants on the Road Magazine English - Nr. 4 - 2017 | Page 15

REGULATIONS Regulations for abnormal transport in Poland BIG CHANGES IN THE COMING YEARS IN THE PERIOD BEFORE 1989 ROAD TRANSPORT WAS LARGELY REGULATED CENTRALLY BY THE GOVERNMENT. THE BULKIEST AND HEAVIEST TRANSPORTS THAT WERE NEEDED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ELECTRICITY NETWORK WERE CARRIED OUT BY ZTE RADOM. WHEN THE WALL CAME DOWN IN 1989 IT BECAME POSSIBLE FOR MANY ENTREPRENEURS TO FULFIL A LONG- HELD ASPIRATION: TO LAUNCH THEIR OWN TRANSPORT BUSINESS. IN THE NINETIES EXEMPTIONS FOR ABNORMAL TRANSPORTS WERE REVIEWED PER TRANSPORT, A SIMPLE BUT TIME-CONSUMING SYSTEM. companies. Due to the efforts of the OSPTN the regulations for abnormal transport have been thoroughly reviewed over the past few years and a large number of changes are being prepared or await the approval of the government. THREE TYPES OF ROADS, SEVEN CATEGORIES. ■  Chairman of the OSPTN: Lukasz Chwalczuk In 2004 Poland joined the European Economic Community, which made it easier for Polish companies to do business in other European countries. Soon several Polish transport companies began to specialise in abnormal transport. The experience that several operators had gained at the old state-owned companies, such as ZTE Radom, proved to be extremely useful. In 2008 the OSPTN was founded, the association of Polish heavy transport The Polish system for abnormal transport is – in principle – simple: three types of roads and seven categories of exemptions. Roads are approved for 8, 10 or 11.5 tonnes per axle. Exemptions are classified into Category 1 to 7. Category 1 is an exemption for regional and local traffic and Cat. 2 applies to agricultural machinery up to 3.5 metres wide. Cat. 3 grants exemption up to 3.2 metres wide, 23 metres long and 4.3 m high, but not for weight. In Cat. 4 the length permitted is 30 metres and the width 3.4 metres, provided the trailer is equipped with steering axles. In Cat. 5 and 6 the maximum gross weight increases to 60 tonnes. And the final one is the most important: Cat. 7 is meant for all vehicles that weigh more than 60 tonnes and are higher, wider or longer than the dimensions mentioned in Cat. 1 to 6. In Poland vehicles with an exemption in Categories 1 to 6 are allowed on the road during the day as well as the night. Cat. 7 is an individual exemption. It includes an assessment whether the journey can take place during the day or night and how many escort vehicles are needed. If the height exceeds 4.3 metres a route survey must be carried out. The transport operator must submit a written confirmation showing that the route survey has been carried out. In that case a height of up to 5 metres will be permitted. CHECKS AND FINES Poland is divided into districts and the inspectors in some of the districts are much more active than in others. The Polish transport operators know exactly where more or indeed fewer checks take place. The fines for infringement of the regulations are clear for the categories 15