Time for a rest? FTA calls on drivers to share experiences
Thursday 12 October 2017
Following yesterday’s announcement (11 October 2017) in Westminster Hall that HGV drivers are to be fined by DVSA if they take their full weekly rest break in their cabs from 1 November 2017, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) is calling for evidence from road users to help highlight the inconsistency in standards of rest facilities available to use across the country.
FTA, the UK’s leading membership association representing the logistics industry, is campaigning for urgent action to provide more secure, safe and good quality rest areas for drivers close to major routes, to prevent HGV operators from being forced to take their mandated rest in their cabs. And to reinforce the argument that an increased amount of decent quality, cost-effective rest stops is required for HGV drivers nationwide, FTA is asking for photographs of the facilities encountered by drivers to be sent to the association’s @newsfromfta Twitter account with the hashtag #ftarest.
“We fully support the need for drivers to step away from their cabs to take their rest breaks,” says Malcolm Bingham, Head of Road Network Policy at FTA, “but without a consistent, widespread network of safe and secure rest stops nationwide, drivers will still opt to take rest in their cabs, particularly when their fully fitted cab offers a better standard than some accessible amenities. FTA is calling on government to use common sense in applying the new £300 fines system, to accommodate the fact that in parts of the country, facilities for drivers are substandard, or simply not available.
“For the men and women keeping our freight traffic on the road, finding a secure, comfortable place to park is a challenge every day. The provision of adequate rest areas for drivers is set out as a requirement in EU law and yet little progress is being made in ensuring consistency of facilities across the country. The British government should be leading the way on such a critical issue and we are confident that drivers will help us to make this point to government in a highly visible manner, through our Twitter campaign.”
Chris Holloway is the creator of Motorway Buddy, an app designed to allow drivers to locate and book rest facilities, and share reviews of the facilities available:
“The shortage of adequate rest facilities for drivers is disgraceful. These men and women provide a vital service transporting goods for all of us and they deserve better. Motorway Buddy is delighted to be working with the FTA to lobby government for immediate action to address this problem.”
EU law states that rest facilities should be located approximately every 100km across the European road network by 2030 and the European Commission is co-financing safe and secure parking projects under the Connecting Europe Facility Fund.
Bingham says while facilities continue to fall short of requirements, drivers should be given alternative options:
“Until there are enough facilities of a suitable and consistent standard, FTA is asking that drivers should be allowed to spend their weekly rest break in their vehicle, as long as it has suitable sleeping facilities and there are sanitary facilities nearby. Nobody wants to see drivers sleeping in laybys which is dangerous for the individuals and their loads, and unsanitary for other road users.”
FTA represents all modes of the UK’s freight and logistics sector, with its members operating half of the UK’s lorry fleet (more than 200,000 vehicles) and consigning 70% of the country’s visible exports by sea and air. The UK remains a leader in logistics at a global level, ranked in the top ten countries in terms of logistics performance, and the sector contributes 11% of the UK’s non-financial business economy. In 2016, 2.54 million people were employed in logistics in the UK, approximately 8% of the UK’s workforce.
To find out more about the Motorway Buddy app and how to use it, please visit www.motorwaybuddy.com
FTA Press Office
01892 552255
press.office@fta.co.uk
