London, UK: The Department for Transport and Kent Country Council are to ban truck drivers from taking rest periods, other than the 45mins break, in seven Kent boroughs.
The move is temporary and designed to ease congestion on port approach roads and is effective from 1 January.
Heidi Skinner, policy manager for the south, Logistics UK said: “Logistics UK is very frustrated the Department for Transport and Kent Country Council have failed to consider the welfare of lorry drivers in this decision.
“Access to places to rest is of paramount importance to the workers responsible for keeping goods moving across the UK and further afield; it is also required to meet their legally required rest periods under the drivers’ hours regulation.
“Giving only 12 working days’ notice – the ban is enforceable by £150 fine from 1 January 2021 – is also unacceptable. The ban is applicable to all lorry drivers – those traveling nationally and internationally – and almost all lorry parks in the surrounding area are at critical levels of utilisation. DfT and KCC have not provided any solution to the lack of space; we are urging them to withdraw the upcoming ban immediately.”
