– We have tried, and we have tried many times, to bring this issue to the fore. But you don’t get any further when the professional environment is so steep and there is no will to look at this. Despite the fact that you see part of the documentation that comes to light, says Hoksrud. He has seen the Brennpunkt documentary “Collision”, and now wants a debate about brake controls on heavy vehicles. And Helge Andersen’s invention. Hoksrud believes that the road authorities have put themselves on the back foot in this matter, even though they know that there are weaknesses with current control methods and especially “roller testers”. Within a short time, Hoksrud announces that he will raise the matter in the Storting. – I’m going to challenge the minister on why they don’t want to do this, or challenge whether the minister is open to the fact that Kombimatic should also be allowed to be used by those who have to check brakes on truck trains. Then together with the rolling tests to see if this is a better way to ensure that it is safe and that the brakes are as they should be on the wagon trains, says the Frp politician, who is today deputy chairman of the health and care committee at the Storting. – Bad answers – I think there are bad answers from the Swedish Road Administration in the documentary. They have previously said that this is not good and not as it should be. Nevertheless, one goes into full defense and in many ways discredits Helge Andersen, says Hoksrud and continues. – It is special to experience a Norwegian Roads Directorate and a road agency that do not really take this to heart at all. Hoksrud has also been involved in the case in the past. Especially in the years 2008 to 2013. Then he and Frp colleague Ingebjørg Amanda Godskesen sent several questions to Transport Minister Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa (Sp) in the Storting. He was in contact with Helge Andersen for several years. In 2013, his party came into government, but even then Hoksrud believes that it was difficult to implement changes in this matter because the professional body did not want it. – It is extremely serious. This means that accidents may have occurred because the state, and the control methods we have from the state’s side, are not satisfactory and do not ensure that it is safe to use truck trains that are actually controlled by the Norwegian control system, he says. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration replies that news has been in contact with the Ministry of Transport in connection with this matter. They only refer to the National Roads Administration for answers. “This is a distinctly academic and technical topic. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration, as our vehicle inspection department, must assess and decide which test methods are to be used in such inspection activities. Inquiries about specific test equipment that the Swedish Road Administration uses in its activities must therefore be answered by SVV”, writes the ministry. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration has submitted all criticisms in this case. Department director Utekontroll, Kjetil Wigdel, answers the following in an e-mail to questions from news. – Are the Swedish Road Administration open to trying Kombimatic or other solutions in the PKK context to test brakes on heavy vehicles? – The Swedish Road Administration is constantly working to improve. Therefore, we continue to work to improve the current control method within the international regulations that we must deal with at all times, Wigdel replies. – What do you think of Hoksrud saying that there has been no will to look at solutions to improve brake control? – We don’t recognize ourselves in that. The Swedish Road Administration has for many years worked on improvements to brake controls both nationally and internationally. As a result, stricter technical requirements are now placed on the measuring equipment than it was before. In 2014, accredited calibration of brake testers was introduced. We have also introduced requirements for training and personal approval of everyone who will carry out EU checks. – What do you think about the fact that he thinks that the professional environment has been rigid? – As I said, we work to improve all the time, but at the same time we have to deal with the room for maneuver the regulations give us, Wigdel answers and adds. – We believe that serious brake faults are detected through today’s control methods. It is done every day at our inspection stations and at workshops that have approval to carry out EU inspections. Bård Hoksrud hopes that the Swedish Road Administration will soon change its attitude. – I hope it is not the case that so much prestige has gone into it that if you get any award you should continue as you have been doing, he says. See what Bård Hoksrud thought about the matter in 2011:
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– Not willing to look at this in the Norwegian Public Roads Administration – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
