About TACHOnet
In order to enforce the regulation on driving times and resting periods, the Council Regulation (EEC) 3821/85 dictates that new vehicles of above 3.5 tonnes or carrying more than 9 people including the driver, should have a tachograph installed. A tachograph is a device installed in a vehicle that automatically records its speed, distance and the driver's activity. The driver card allows the unique identification of a driver in the vehicle and will keep track of all the information recorded by the tachograph.
For the proper implementation of the regulations concerning the tachograph, it is essential that every driver holds only one valid driver card. Therefore, Member States must ensure the uniqueness of the driver card they issue by exchanging information with the other Member States. The TACHOnet is a telematic network in operation across the EU to allow an automated exchange of information between Member States.
The goals of TACHOnet are:
- to ensure fair competition between road transport operators;
- to enhance road safety by avoiding driver’s fatigue; and
- to create even social conditions for mobile transport workers.
Usage
- Check Issued Card (CheckIssuedCards)
- Send issued card information for a driving license (IssuedCardsDL)
- Declare card status modification (ModifyCardStatus)
- Check card status (CheckCardStatus)
TACHOnet is implemented in two systems: in the TACHOnet central system and in the CIA applications (at least one per Member State).
Over 1 million requests have been made during the period of January 2013 to August 2013 across the CIA applications and TACHOnet central system. The TACHOnet system is in production since 2006 and 37 countries are currently connected: 25 Member States and 12 non-EU countries, which are Contracting Parties to AETR (Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaïjan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Monaco, Norway, FYROM, Switzerland).
e-Document engineering method
TACHOnet provides an XML Schema Definition (XSD), implicating standard XML exchange messages across all users of the system, containing common fields and understanding across the countries.
The e-Document formats haven't been created using a standardised e-Document engineering method. The TACHOnet XML Messaging Reference Guide provides guidelines for generating accurate and standard documents.
- Library of data elements: Each e-Document format has its own information requirement model bound to the actual syntax using the syntax binding methodology described in the XML Messaging Reference Guide and compliant with the XSD Schema.
- Naming and design rules: No explicit naming and design rules have been followed for the creation of the TACHOnet XML Schemas.
- e-Document engineering tools: TACHOnet only provides XSD Schemas, but no tools to build e-Documents. TACHOnet provides software requirements in order to help Member States designing a solution.
- Representation techniques: The information requirement models in the XML guidelines are represented by XSD Schemas.