Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Latvia and the Government of the Slovak Republic on International Road Transport

The Government of the Republic of Latvia and the Government of the Slovak Republic (hereinafter "the Contracting Parties"),

wishing to regulate and promote international transport of passengers and goods by road,

have agreed as follows:

Article 1

This Agreement shall apply to international transport of passengers and goods by road for hire or reward or own account between the Republic of Latvia and the Slovak Republic and in transit through these countries carried out by carriers who in accordance with the relevant national laws are authorized to engage in the international road transport using the vehicle registered in either state of the Contracting Parties.

PASSENGER TRANSPORT

Article 2

1. Passenger transport shall mean bus transport of persons and their baggage, including also empty drives related to these services.

2. The bus shall be any motor vehicle designed and equipped as appropriate for the carriage of passengers and has more than nine seats including that of the driver.

Article 3

1. Regular bus services shall mean a service operating according to an approved time-table over specific routes with passengers getting on and off at designated stop points.

2. Regular bus service between the two countries as well as regular transit routes through their territories shall require approval by the competent authorities of the both Contracting Parties.

3. The competent authorities of each Contracting Party shall issue an authorization for route sections within the respective territory of the Contracting Party.

4. Applications for authorization shall be submitted to the competent authority in the country of registration of the motor vehicle.

5. Applications defined in paragraph 4 of this Article shall contain the following information:

(a) transporter's name and full address,

(b) type of transport,

(c) the length of time for which permission is sought,

(d) time of operation together with the number of drives per day or week,

(e) travel time table,

(f) lay-out of route showing stop points for boarding and disembarking passengers and border crossings,

(g) route length in kilometers,

(h) driving and resting time of drivers,

(i) maximum seating capacity of buses used providing the service,

(j) fare and tariff terms.

6. In case the application does not raise an objection the competent authority of the Contracting Party shall communicate the application with the information mentioned in paragraph 5 of this Article for approval and authorization to the competent authority of the other Contracting Party.

7. An authorization can be issued for a maximum period of five years which can be extended if requested by a carrier.

Article 4

1. Shuttle service shall mean carriage of designated groups of passengers traveling repeatedly back and forth from a single place of departure to a single destination point. The groups traveling to the destination point shall be subsequently transported back to the place of original departure. Apart from the carriage of passengers, shuttle service shall be responsible for the accommodation of the group at the destination point. The first back drive and the last travel to the destination point shall be empty.

2. Shuttle service shall require the authorization issued by the competent authority of the other Contracting Party. Applications thereof shall be submitted directly to the competent authority of the other Contracting Party. The application must be submitted not later than thirty days prior the planned shuttle operation.

3. The application defined in paragraph 2 of this Article shall contain:

* transporter's name and address,

* time-table,

* number of travels,

* information about accommodation and length of stay of a passenger group at the destination place.

4. Guidelines on approval procedures, the authorization forms, and other issues shall be determined by the Mixed Commission established under Article 17 of this Agreement.

Article 5

1. Occasional transport shall mean services other than those defined in Articles 3 and 4 of this Agreement.

2. Occasional transport between the two countries or in transit over their territories transporting the same group of passengers by the same vehicle shall require no authorization if:

(a) a round trip begins and it is intended to end in the country of registration of the vehicle providing that the group of passengers is brought back to the place of departure,

(b) a journey with passengers starts at a place in the country of registration of the vehicle and it ends in the territory of the other Contracting Party or any other country providing that the vehicle returns empty to the country of registration,

(c) an empty journey starts at the country of registration of the vehicle in order to take up and to carry the group of passengers that has been carried to the destination point by the same carrier or under the provisions of subpoint (b) of paragraph 2 to the place of departure.

3. Occasional transport other than provided under paragraph 2 of this Article, shall be subject to approval by the competent authorities of the Contracting Parties.

4. The competent authorities of the Contracting Parties shall exchange information on the number of authorizations for the transport defined in paragraph 3 of this Article. In the case of technical failures or traffic accidents, for empty drives of buses providing subsequent transport of passengers an authorization is not required.

5. Performing transport operations under paragraph 2 of this Article the carrier shall have at his disposal a completely arranged way-bill with the list of passengers. The form of a way-bill shall be determined by the Mixed Commission mentioned in the Article 17 of this Agreement.

GOODS TRANSPORT

Article 6

Any carrier performing goods transport under Article 1 of this Agreement shall be required to have the permit issued by the competent authority of the other Contracting Party when carrying out transportation operations between the two countries, in transit through the territory of the other Contracting Party or to/from third countries if not otherwise provided by the Mixed Commission mentioned under Article 17 of this Agreement.

Article 7

The number and types of permits issued under Article 6 and other terms of transport shall be determined by the Mixed Commission mentioned in Article 17 of this Agreement.

Article 8

1. No authorization or permit shall be required for:

(a) transport of goods carried on an occasional basis, to or from airports, in cases where services are diverted,

(b) transport of the vehicles or their parts that have been damaged or broken down, performing transport operations under provisions of this Agreement,

(c) funeral transport,

(d) removal of household objects,

(e) mail delivery,

(f) transport of exhibits and related equipment for shows and fairs,

(g) transport of properties, accessories and animals to or from theatrical, musical, film, sports or circus performances, fairs or fetes, and those intended for radio recordings, or for film or television production,

(h) transport of bees and fish stock,

(i) transport of livestock in special vehicles,

(j) transport of medical supplies and equipment needed for emergencies, notably in the event of natural disasters,

(k) unladen run of a relief vehicle used for transporting goods sent to replace a vehicle which has broken down in another country, and continuation of the haul by the relief vehicle under cover of the licence issued for the vehicle which has broken down,

(l) trailer transport with a carrier of either Contracting Party and a foreign registered trailer or a semi-trailer,

(m) maintenance and service cars providing assistance to broken down or damaged vehicles,

(n) transport of articles and equipment intended exclusively for advertising and information purposes,

(o) transport of goods and motor vehicles whose permitted gross laden weight including trailers, does not exceed six tonnes, or when the permitted payload, including trailers, does not exceed 3.5 tonnes.

2. A driver of a vehicle providing any of the transport operations listed in paragraph 1 of this Article shall have all necessary documents clearly indicating the transport justified by any of provisions stated in this paragraph.

Article 9

1. Should the weight and/or dimensions of the vehicle registered in the territory of either Contracting Party exceed the weight or dimensions limits prescribed in the other country, the vehicle shall be equipped with a special permit issued by the competent authority of that Contracting Party. A special permit issued by the competent authority of the other Contracting Party shall be required also for transportation of dangerous goods and wastes.

2. Permits issued under paragraph 1 of this Article can contain a set route of travel.

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 10

1. Carriers of either Contracting Party shall when being in the territory of the other Contracting Party comply with national laws and regulations in force in that territory concerning road transport, road traffic and customs.

2. Neither of the Contracting Parties shall impose on the vehicles registered in the territory of the other Contracting Party requirements with regard to weight and dimensions of vehicles which are more restrictive than those applied upon the vehicles registered in its own territory.

Article 11

1. Vehicles which are registered in the territory of one Contracting Party and are temporarily imported into the territory of the other Contracting Party to perform transport services in accordance with this Agreement shall be exempted according to the reciprocity principle from the levy of road tax and taxes related to the possession and use of vehicles.

2. However, this exemption shall not apply to the payment of road tolls, bridge tolls and road infrastructure charges which shall always be required on the basis of the principle of non discrimination.

3. On the vehicles mentioned in the paragraph 1 of this Article customs duties shall be exempted on:

(a) the vehicles,

(b) the fuel contained in the ordinary supply tanks of the vehicles,

(c) spare parts imported into the territory of the other Contracting Party, intended for the breakdown service of a vehicle. Replaced parts shall be re-exported or destroyed under the control of the competent customs authorities of the other Contracting Party.

Article 12

Any matter which is not regulated by the provisions of this Agreement or by those of international agreements and conventions to which the two countries are parties shall be governed by the national regulations in force in the two countries.

Article 13

Passenger or goods transport by a carrier of either Contracting Party between two points in the territory of the other Contracting Party shall not be allowed unless a special permit has been issued by the competent authority of that other Contracting Party.

Article 14

Permits issued under Articles 3, 5, 6 and 13 of this Agreement as well as other documents anticipated by this Agreement shall be kept in the vehicle and produced for inspection by an authorized official of the competent authority when so required.

Article 15

1. Should a carrier of one Contracting Party infringe any provision of this Agreement when in the territory of the other Contracting Party, the competent authority of the latter shall notify thereof the competent authorities of the former.

2. In cases of infringements of this Agreement under paragraph 1 of this Article, the competent authorities of the Contracting Party in whose territory the infringement has occurred may request the competent authority of the other Contracting Party:

(a) to issue warning to a carrier that a repeated infringement will lead to a temporary or permanent exclusion of performing transportation operations in the territory of that country,

(b) to deny the carrier the right to carry out transportation operations in the territory of that country temporary or permanently.

3. The competent authority taking such measure shall notify thereof the competent authority of the other Contracting Party.

4. The provisions of this Article shall not prejudice the legal sanctions that can be imposed by the legal or administrative institutions of the country the infringement has occurred.

Article 16

The Contracting Parties shall inform each other about the competent authorities authorized to execute the provisions of this Agreement and shall exchange the necessary statistical data and other information.

Article 17

The Parties shall establish from the representatives of the competent authorities a Mixed Commission for implementation of this Agreement convened when necessary and at the request of either competent authority of the Contracting Party alternatively in the territories of the Contracting Parties.

Article 18

1. The Contracting Parties shall notify each other in writing through diplomatic channels that the legal measures necessary for giving effect to this Agreement in its country have been taken. The Agreement shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after the last notification.

2. The Agreement shall remain in force for the period of one year as of the date of its coming into force and it shall be tacitly extended from year to year unless canceled by a six month's written notice of either Contracting Party submitted by way of diplomatic channels.

Done in Riga this on "9" day of April, 1998 in two copies both in the Latvian, Slovak and English languages which are equally authentic. In the case of a controversial point the text in the English language is the decisive one.

For the Government	For the Government
of the Republic of Latvia	of the Slovak Republic