Carriers will receive long-awaited financial support. We know the rules under which they will be able to apply for subsidies for the replacement of tachographs. How much will they get and what conditions should they meet?
The tachograph subsidy program is finally starting. We wrote about the case in July. Let us remind you that at the end of July the Ministry of Infrastructure announced that it would carry out the action co-financing the replacement of tachographs from the funds of the National Reconstruction Plan (KPO).
The exchange has become an obligation because – according to EU law covering the transport industry – from August 19 it must be installed in every vehicle used in international transport in EU countries latest generation smart tachograph (G2V2).
Meanwhile, according to research conducted by Inelo, even at the beginning of August 25% of vehicles did not have it installed required equipment.
In response to the change in regulations in the Ministry of Infrastructure, a draft regulation was created which assumed: partial or full refund replacing tachographs. In the following weeks, the project was expanded to include further issues and finally October 14 The Ministry of Infrastructure published relevant regulation regarding co-financing for the replacement of tachographs.
Who will be able to receive the subsidy according to the regulations? what conditions should it meet? You will find the answers later in the text.
First: maximum 10 tachographs
Already during public consultations, carriers drew attention to the fact that the initial draft of the regulation did not provide equal access to government assistance. Listening to the voice of the Polish industry, the ministry decided on important changes in this area.
Ultimately, aid will first go to companies that apply for refinancing replacement of a maximum of 10 tachographs, regardless of the size of the company. If there are still unused funds after the first stage, the remaining funds will be distributed to the remaining carriers in the second round, then, without limits on the number of devices.
– This is an important correction compared to the original assumptions, which only applied to companies with a maximum of ten vehicles. In practice, this could limit the opportunity for subsidies, mainly for the smallest entities. Now the rules are more balanced. Each carrier, regardless of the size of its fleet, will be able to benefit from co-financing for at least some of its vehicles. This is good news for medium and large companies that have incurred high costs of replacing tachographs, says Mateusz Włoch, development and training expert at Inelo from the Eurowag Group.
Up to 3 thousand PLN per vehicle
The financing will be implemented under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and will cover the refinancing of the costs of replacing tachographs with second-generation smart devices (G2V2). Any carrier will be able to obtain a refund up to 3 thousand PLN per vehicle, in the de minimis aid formula.
The total pool of funds allocated for co-financing is PLN 319,678,800, which will support approximately 106,600 vehicles – assuming receipt of the maximum surcharge for replacing one device.
How many tachographs still need to be replaced?
According to data from the two largest tachograph manufacturers in the EU, it has been replaced so far in Poland approximately 150 thousand tachographs. It is estimated that approximately 70 percent vehiclesin which a new tachograph has been installed. This is good news for most transport companies that have already incurred the costs of modernizing their fleet.
– The scale of tachograph replacement in Poland shows that carriers have taken the obligation to adapt to EU regulations seriously, and the possibility of obtaining a partial refund will be real financial support – adds Mateusz Włoch.
Where can I apply for a subsidy?
They will be able to apply for support road carriers included in the list run by Chief Inspectorate of Road Transport (GITD). The call for applications together with the regulations will be announced 14 days before the start, and information about it will appear on the website of the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture (ARiMR).
The application can be submitted electronically until August 31, 2026 via ARiMR, unless the funds are exhausted earlier – then the recruitment may close before the end of August. Applications are on a first-come, first-served basis.
What documents will be needed to submit the application?
It's worth preparing now documents needed to submit an application and choose 10 vehicles, which will be the first to be indicated in the application. You should provide, among others: information on the qualifications of a road carrier and the workshop that installed the new tachograph and the carrier's statement on the purchase and installation of a new recorder in the vehicle or printing of technical data from the G2V2 tachograph.
It is also worth checking as soon as possible with the Bureau for International Transport (BTM), part of GITD, data regarding the transport company, vehicles, that have been submitted for the license, as well as information about persons authorized to represent the company.
