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DfT Task and Finish Group to address parking shortfall for HGVs
The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced an industry-led Task and Finish Group (TFG) to examine how standards of truck parking facilities can be raised nationwide, as well as how the capacity of available spaces can be increased.
According to the latest National Parking Survey, conducted by the government in 2022, more than 4,400 vehicles were parked overnight in non-secure locations, because official facilities were at or near capacity.
“It is vital that drivers are able to take their mandated rest breaks at safe and secure locations,” says Chris Yarsley, Senior Policy Manager for Road Freight Policy at Logistics UK, “yet there are still insufficient numbers of spaces across the strategic road network. As a result, drivers are forced to stop in locations which do not provide the necessary hygiene and welfare facilities which we would expect for those involved in such vital work. Logistics UK is a member of the group and will ensure that the views of our members are heard, and changes are made to provide the support our drivers need while carrying out their duties.”
DfT’s intention is for the TFG to provide a forum for individuals from across logistics, including trade bodies, truck park and motorway service operators, police, standards organisations and users. The aim is to explore, identify and understand the barriers to, and opportunities for, provision of better security and safer rest facilities for the industry’s vital staff.
The TFG’s wide-ranging brief is prioritising four main areas of work:
- A survey to better understand why those operators of secure facilities adopt current standards.
- Mapping of highest crime locations across the last four years.
- Exploring greater use of ANPR/CCTV equipment.
- Mapping incidents of crime against drivers.
If you have any experiences about driver facilities on the Strategic Roads Network that you would like to share with Logistics UK’s road freight policy experts to be fed into the TFG, please contact jwalker@logistics.org.uk.
Published On: 16/05/2024 15:00:00
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