The Basque regional government has announced stepped-up checks on dangerous goods lorries from 16 to 22 November 2026. The regional police Ertzaintza are due to check both transport safety measures and compliance with driving and rest times on roads in the Basque Country. This is according to a government statement dated 15 November.
According to the government, the operation is part of an annual programme comprising 33 traffic and transport monitoring operations. The announced focus is on lorries carrying dangerous goods by road. The statement refers to Euskadi, as the autonomous region is also known. It does not announce a nationwide inspection operation. Basque Country in Spain also known. A nationwide inspection operation is not announced.
Among other things, police will check the documents carried by the vehicles, as well as their orange plates and markings. The list also includes fire extinguishers, other equipment and personal protective equipment. According to the government, the checks are based on the international agreement on the carriage of dangerous goods by road, known by the abbreviation ADR.
Another focus is the tachograph. Officers are due to check whether the device is working and whether it has been tampered with to falsify records and evade police checks. They will also check whether drivers exceed the permitted driving times or fail to observe the required rest periods. Alongside the specific requirements for dangerous goods transport the operation therefore also covers the time limits for work at the wheel.
The regional government justifies the monitoring by pointing to the possible consequences of lorry accidents. These could be serious, particularly if the vehicles were carrying dangerous goods. In its account, the announced checks are intended to prevent risky behaviour on roads in the Basque Country. Before the operation begins, it is not possible to say whether, or to what extent, any offences will be found.
The announcement does not specify the locations of the checks or the number of officers involved. Nor does it say how many vehicles are to be inspected. It also gives no comparative figures from previous targeted checks. The statement therefore provides no basis for inferring either a trend in offences or an increase in dangerous goods accidents.
The government describes an upcoming, time-limited targeted inspection operation, not a check that has already been completed. The announcement contains no results yet. It also does not specify any penalties for possible infringements.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).