Advanced Logistic Systems Vol. 6. No. 1. (2012) pp. 89-94. 
 
 
 
E-TRAVEL LOGBOOK IN OFFICIAL PROCEDURE 
 
ZSOLT CZÉKMANN1 
 
Abstract:  In the time of the Infocommunication society it is obvious we use the new generation 
technologies  in  our  every  day  actions.  The  man  of  the  digital  age  was  made  for  to  use  these 
appliances  to  surmount  his  environment.  But  was  the  „legal  environment”  ready  for  the 
infocommunication technologies? A simple GPS based e-log book - which can be used as simple as 
an  ordinary  log  book  –  distressed  the  offices.  For  the  solution  we  had  to  wait  till  the  hole  official 
procedures  processed  and  reached  the  21.  century.  Their  trust  in  the  infocommunication's 
technologies depends on their acceptance by the society, and the legislator's activity contributes to it 
(or  interferes  it)  vigorously.  In  our  case  we  examine  that  a  simple  document  with  an  elaborated 
technological foreground how it goes through the mill, thanks to the legal changes. 
Keywords: e-travel, Infocommunication society, law of the transportation 
 
 
1. New technologies and law 
 
By the second decade of the XXI. century the tools of infocommunication became the 
part  of  our  days  uneventfully,  infiltrating  in  our  in  our  life  in  such  a  way  that  their 
attendance is next to unperceivable, but their absence is a serious  challenge for us in short 
run too. The post-industrial societies, in which the digital tolls and applications are working 
as society-shaping force, called infocommunication society. 2 
These  societal  transformations'  obligate  attendants  are  the  transformations  of  the 
societal connections and the maturation of new systems of rules and relations. The law – as 
one of the most dominant societal systems of rules – will be forced to take up the question 
according  the  new  occurrent  phenomena  sooner  or  later,  even  if  the  legislator  does  even 
later, then sooner. The legislator has a specially delicate situation, if the environment to be 
regulated  is  changing  so  dynamically,  outranking  the  considered  juridical  mechanisms 
successively. So it happens if the object of the regulation connects with the use of all-time 
state-of-the-art  technology,  then  the  legislator(and  the  law  enforcer)  implements  the  new 
technology, creates the regulation, by the time the enforcement could gain currency and the 
practice  of  courts  could  evolve,  then  the  regulated  solution  is  already  transcended,  and  in 
this way the regulation too.3 This phenomenal generates problems on the site, on which the 
                                                           
1MSc., assistant lecturer, University of Miskolc 
jogczzs@uni-miskolc.hu 
H-3515 Miskolc-Egyetemváros, Hungary 
 
2About the information and infocommunication society: Daniel Bell: The Coming of Post-Industrial Society. New 
York, Basic Books, 1976; Frank Webster (2002) Theories of the Information Society. London: Routledge; Balogh 
Zsolt György: Az infokommunikációs jogról, Infokommunikáció és Jog, 02. szám 2004., Dialog Campus Könyvek 
Budapes-Pécs, Torma András: Az információ jelentősége a (köz)igazgatásban. Budapest: Virtuóz, 2002. 
3 The  situation  is  similar  –  for  example  –  by  the  defence  of  intellectual  property.  By  the  time  the  legislator  had 
created  the  opportunity  of  the  effective  counter-movee  against  the  multitudinous  duplication  on  the  physical 
carrier,  there  were  the  new  technologies  (for  example:  the  FTP  or  the  torrent-file  sharing  method)  and  virtually 
90                                               E-travel logbook in official procedure 
binding regulation draws the line at the use of analogy, respectively from the status of the 
parties  follows  the  pretence  of  a  strict  regulation  (when  the  state,  as  the  wielder  of  the 
executive power, is the subjective of the legal relations). On the basis of this all and in the 
interest of that the electronic document becomes utilizable in the magisterial procedure, the 
legislator is in a fix, specially if we take account of that the number of the type of cases is 
more  than  ten  thousands  and  that's  why  the  mulding  is  not  simple.  The  problem  is  given 
and now the solution(or the attempt of this) though the example of the electronic travelling 
warrant. 
 
2. E-administration 
 
To  find  the  correspondences  between  the  difficulties  of  the  electronic  documents'  use, 
we need to scrutinize how the current Hungarian rules of procedure evolved. 
 
2.1. From the electronic administration to the e-public administration, there and back. 
In Hungary  the rules of  magisterial procedure  was re-regulated in 2004, it  materialized in 
the Act CXL of 2004 on the general rules of administrative proceeding and services (called 
Ket.)  It  is  relevant  to  place  emphasis  on  that  the  Ket.  came  into  effect  after  joining  the 
European  Union,  reflecting  the  specialties  of  the  EU's  harmonization  of  law.  One  of  the 
most  expressive  instances  is  the  Chapter  X  about  the  Electronic  Administration,  which 
appraised the opportunity of the electronic way of the administrative proceeding foremost. 
The  electronic  procedural  regulation  was  unknown  in  the  inland  legislation  till  this 
the  electronic 
event(however 
administration 5 and  the  electronic  way 6,  with  which  it  opened  the  door  to  use  of  the 
electronic documents7 in magisterial proceeding. But the door was opened just on the face 
of it, namely because the self governments and governments got the authority to foreclose 
certain  cases  from  the  electronic  way(and  it  eventued  by  the  great  majority  of  cases8),  so 
there  was  only  a  narrow  breach,  across  which  the  e-documents  and  electronic  proceeding 
could  begin  their  career.  The  digital  travelling  warrant  was  not  found  between  the 
receivable documents.  
it  had  antecendents) 4 .  The  Act  defined  as  first: 
The  breakthrough  came  with  the  2007-2013  budget  of  the  EU,  together  with  the 
transformation of the regulating environment. The eEuropa 2002 Strategy9 had already set 
an  aim  to  work  up  the  information  society,  and  it  had  determined  the  group  of  basic 
                                                                                                                                                    
they  squeezed  out  the  former  rules  too,  because  the  law  (and  extremly  the  criminal  law)  obviates  the  use  of 
analogy. 
4 The Act XXXV of 2001 about the electronic signatures, Directive 1999/93/EC of the European Parliament and of 
the Council of 13 December 1999 on a Community framework for electronic signatures., The Act CVIII of 2001 
about electronic commercial services, about some questions according the services of information society. 
5 Electronic  administration:  the  administrative  magisterial  cases  equipment  in  electronic  way,  and  the  totality  of 
the needful contentional and formal technical circumstances of work. 
6 Electronic  way:  the  completion  of  actions  of  procedure  through  electronic  data  processing,  data  holding  and 
forwarding, line-, raditechnical optical or electro-magnetical tools 
7 Electronic document: joint of data which can be defined through electronic tools 
8 The reason is usually the absence of infrastructure, respectively the absence of the needful liquid assets 
9 ttp://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/information_society/strategies/l24226a_en.htm (21. april 2012) 
Zsolt Czékmann                                                                 91 
services 10 ,  which  must  be  accomplished  for  the  private  and  economic  sphere  by  the 
government.  It  ensured  the  sources  of  the  new  budget  for  it  and  the  working  out  of  the 
electronic services became an emphasised field.11  
Falling into step with the new aims of the budget the eEuropa 2002 Strategy improved 
in eEuropa 2005 (keeping the original aims till the last), then the new budget set the source 
with expanded content for the information society in the i2010 Strategy.12  
The  stronger  and  stronger  countenance  of  the  European  Union  according  working  out 
the  information  society  meant  commitment  too  for  the  member  states  next  to  the 
opportunity. This resulted in the Directive 2006/123/EC of the European Parliament and of 
the Council of 12 December 2006 on services in internal market. 
 
3. E-logbook as documentation 
 
The  Ket.  (§52.)  laid  the  opportunity  for  using  of  the  documents  in  the  administrative 
proceeding. The utilizable documents (and peculiarly the group of the legal documents) can 
be narrowed onwards in certain proceedings by the type specific rules.13 
Let's examine the general requirements for the documents, and then compare them with 
specific requirements of travelling warrant. 
In  the  interest  of  proving  the  contest  which  it  incorporates,  the  documents  must  to 
measure  up  to  the  requirement  of  the  identification,  thruthfulness,  integrity,  undeniability. 
The former four requirements' fruition must be ensured without reference to the technology 
of  preparation  unconventionally,  it  refers  to  the  original  paper  documents  equally  in  this 
way, together  with the electronic documents. This points to the fact the distinction can be 
based  only  on  law,  wit  the  rule  decided  which  document  can  be  accepted  out  of  the 
documents (found in the part 2.) 
If  we  examine  the  two  cycles,  when  the  electronic  travelling  warrant  could  be  used 
(2009-2011)14, respectively the following cycle when the same technology did not suit the 
legal  requirements,  we  can  see  that  the  requirements  didn't  change,  all  in  all  the  rules  to 
make the opportunity of the electronic way emerged. 
So between 2009-2011 the travelling warrant's terms within named: 
a)  The designation of the Upkeeper, the name of the Driver 
b)  Registration number and premise of the vehicle 
c)  Data of carriage, number of persons, departure, stops, location and date of arrival, 
status of Km-Clock, the charged Km-yield, 
with  this  end  in  view  it  must  be  proved  with  a  strict  major  blank,  or  with  an  electronic 
document accordingly. 
                                                           
10 Common  List  of  Basic  Public  Services  contains  12  services,  which  the  private  sphere  has  resort  to  and  the8 
services, which must be ensured for the economic sphere. 
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/eeurope/2002/action_plan/pdf/basicpublicservices.pdf (01-05-2012) 
11
 Keringer  Zsolt:  Elektronikus  közigazgatás 
I.  part  http://terinformatika-online.hu/index.php?option= 
com_content&task=view&id=103&Itemid=1 (2007. szeptember 08) 
12 Europen Digital Agenda 
http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/information_society/strategies/si0016_hu.htm (21.april 2012) 
13 § 190-199 in the Act III of 1952, Judicial Procedure Code 
14  http://www.nkh.hu/Gepjarmu/tevekenysegek/jarmuvekhaszn/egyebokmanyok/menetfuvarok/Lapok/default.aspx 
(21. april 2012) 
92                                               E-travel logbook in official procedure 
From 2012 these rules for the same travelling warrant are the following: 
 
 
 
 
The designation of the Upkeeper, the name of the driver 
Registration number and premise of the vehicle 
In case of transit: Data of carriage (number of travelling warrants made by Ware-
Owner, the designation, amount and origin of carriage, wise of package; In case 
of dangerous ware, the ADR data) 
departures', stops' and arrivals' (and stowages') location and date, status of Km-
Clock, together with the charged Km-yield.  
 
On the merits there is no difference, the Electronic GPS Documentation is competent to 
provide  the  required  information,  but  the  accepted  technology  lost  its  availability  without 
authorization  in  the  magisterial  proceeding  as  it  reads  well  through  the  orientation  on  the 
website of National Transport Authority.15 
This  actuality  procedures  an  awkward  situation  in  the  progress  of  relations'  system  of 
the legislation-technology (detailed in the Point 1.), on the basis of that the regulation isn't 
statute-barred  on  the  grounds  of  technology's  development,  on  the  contrary  we  can  take 
cognizance  of  that  the  technology  became  to  be  “exceeded”,  because  of  the  legal 
environment's transformation. It's true, that the regulation chooses the not-forward solution, 
but it  means  withdrawal compared to the former legal regulation. Inasmuch as there is  no 
statement,  which  reflects  on  the  question  if  the  inducted  e-documentation  came  up  to  the 
expectations, and such a technological change didn't eventuate, which made the elaboration 
of  new  regulation's  system  justified,  hence  the  law  enforcer  remained  without  soothing 
answer, in respect to the changes which existed behind. 
Both  the  European  Union's  legal  trends  and  the  Hungarian  legal  way  proceeds 
consistently  to  the  mutual  acceptability  of  the  paper-based  documents  and  the  electronic 
documents.  With  this  end  in  view  of  the  principles  of  the  technology's  neutrality  and  the 
interoperability  it  is  expectable  from  the  legislator  of  any  states  which  called  itself  an 
Infocommunication society to make this minimal expected step, namely to aim to create the 
equivalence  between  the  documents.  In  every  respect  for  the  law  enforcer's  trust  in  the  e-
documents (which has a special emphasised role in EU 2020 Information society Strategy) 
such  an  inconsistent  legislation  of  the  legislator  means  a  serious  danger.  It's  specifically 
dangerous in an environment, in which the traditional  (paper-based) documents prevail (in 
contrast with the vitally digital based societies, for example in Japan) 
The dark curtain on the e-travelling warrant seems to lift, namely in August of 2012 the 
legislator - perceiving the untenable situation of the regulation – traces the electronic way 
back  to  the  channel  of  legality.  The  228/2012  (VIII.  23.)  Government  Decree  §  6  (10) 
(operative  from  22.  October  2012)  makes  possible  the  use  of  the  electronic  travelling 
warrant. It won't be restored to the former liberal legislation, just in narrow circle, in case of 
                                                           
15 „Electronic letter of carriage or travelling warrant 261/ 2011 (XII. 7.) Government Decree and other regulation 
don't contain the definition, the terms, the approval, the quality, the usage, the control and the use's opportunity of 
electronic letter of carriage or travelling warrent. In stead of no other specifically strict  major blank can be used 
electronic  version  of  it  automatically,  regulation  must  permit  it.  On  the  basis  of  this  all  the  driver  must  keep  a 
record on the paper based letter of the carriage and must show it in case of control. The document must be retained 
accordance with serial number for 8 years. Any electronic letter of carriage can be a statement to help the internal 
function of the enterprise, but it is not eligible for magisterial aims!” (21.april 2012) 
Zsolt Czékmann                                                                 93 
the  several  accounted  vehicular  ware-transportation16 it  is  possible  to  use  the  electronic 
documentation. 
In regard to that the travelling warrant is a strict major blank, so (rightly) the rule seized 
the condition of the use of e-documents. In case of electronic travelling warrant the defined 
data17 must  be  seized  in  a  closed  system  automatically  or  in  the  time  of  their  availability. 
The record equipment of the electronic document must be able to 
a.  visualize the actual content of the stored data holisticly, 
b.  make an attested printing or to ensure the direct actual download of the stored data 
– in the way of the closed informatic system operated by the operator of the vehicle 
– for the controlling authority. 
 
That is to say the new legislation returns to the former model, to one technology-neutral 
solution. So it means that the former elaborated and operable GPS based systems become to 
suited again, even if just in narrower circle, for the involvement of  magisterial procedure, 
raising hope for the return of the highlight in 2009. 
 
4. Summary 
 
The  electronic  travelling  warrant,  as  a  common  recognized  proceeding,  is  an  adequate 
technically  subsidised  electronic  documenting  form's  gauntlets 
the  magisterial 
proceeding  and  it  draws  perfectly  clear  picture  about  the  status  of  the  electronic 
administration  in  our  country.  It's  fact,  that  the  documentation  in  the  unchanged  form  is 
unsuitable to use, then it suits to the legal requirements, and nowadays it became „outlaw” 
again  (but  surely  not  permanently).  It  represents  that  the  Hungarian  electronic  public 
administration  is  groping  its  way  yet.  The  uncertainity  of  the  legislator  is  recognizable 
when  the  practice  tries  to  shape  the  elaborated  solutions  for  its  own  interest  in  the  given 
regulating  environment,  it  generates  tension  between  the  state's  expectations  and  the 
accepted practice. 
in 
We  hope  that  this  process  won't  make  no  following  sacrifices  and  we  can  see  the 
elaborated well-practiced solutions' resusciation and acceptance. 
 
Acknowledgements 
 
This research was carried out as part of the TAMOP-4.2.1.B-10/2/KONV-2010-0001 project with 
support by the European Union, co-financed by the European Social Fund. 
 
                                                           
16 Several accounted vehicular ware-transportation: is the transportation of the ware or other thing by the economic 
entity, if the transported ware or other thing is the property of the transporter or the transporter bought, sold, rented 
or  created  by  the  transporter,  extracted,  took  over  for  processing  or  repairing, processed,  repaired thing,  and the 
aim of the transportation is the carrying of the ware or other thing, or the dispatch from the transportation done by 
the operator's or rented vehicle; 
17 The designation of the Upkeeper, the name of the driver, registration number and premise of the vehicle. 
In case of transit: Data of carriage (number of travelling warrants made by Ware-Owner, the designation, amount 
and origin of carriage, wise of package; In case of dangerous ware –  with the bias of ministerial decree about the 
territorial  chemicals  and  fuels  tracked  by  territorial  wrecker  or  slow  vehicle,  track  trailer  -  ,  the  ADR  data), 
departures',  stops'  and  arrivals' (and  stowages')  location  and date,  status  of  Km-Clock,  together  with  the  charged 
Km-yield.  
94                                               E-travel logbook in official procedure 
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