Bus Carrying Young Hockey Players Stopped in Czechia: Driver Faked Tachograph Data Using Someone Else's Card

Police stopped a bus on Nádražní Street in the Czech Republic that was carrying a children's hockey team from Austria to a match in Moravia. According to Jiří Macner, spokesperson for the South Bohemian Regional Police, the driver had exceeded his permitted driving time without taking the required rest break — and instead inserted his boss's driver card into the tachograph in order to keep going.

The long cross-country trip ended in an unplanned transfer for the young hockey players: the bus was banned from continuing its journey, and a replacement vehicle had to be sent for the children. According to the police spokesperson, traffic officers removed the bus's license plates, and the transport company was hit with a security deposit of 200,000 crowns.

Dangerous recklessness behind the wheel

Macner said he was surprised by the behavior of the experienced driver, who knowingly took the risk. "Perhaps he takes this kind of risk regularly, or maybe he simply doesn't follow the news and hasn't heard about the recent tragedy involving a Polish bus, which may have been caused by the driver falling asleep at the wheel," the police spokesperson suggested.

Documentation on the violation committed by the transport company will be forwarded by police to the South Bohemian Regional Authority for administrative proceedings.

Driver faces criminal charges

The driver himself will be dealt with separately — and according to Macner, his situation could turn out to be far more serious. Using someone else's driver card is treated as suspected unauthorized access to a computer system and data carrier. In the most severe case, the driver could face up to two years in prison.

Read also: Exchanging a Foreign Driver's License for a Czech One

Source: novinky.cz