Drivers’ Hours regulations relaxed

Coronavirus

The Department for Transport is relaxing the Drivers’ Hours regulations to help UK hauliers play keeping the economy moving during the coronavirus pandemic.

The relaxation in Drivers’ Hours regulations initially applied to those responsible for the movement of essential items including food, non-food, personal care and household paper and cleaning products and over the counter medicines.

The Road Haulage Association (RHA) called for a relaxation on a wider basis to cover all parts of the supply chain as well as guidance as to when and how this will be applied. On 21 March the DfT announced the current limited Drivers’ Hours relaxation will apply to all road haulage operations from 23 March until 21 April 2020.

RHA chief executive Richard Burnett said: “As far as the logistics industry is concerned, we are working as efficiently and as quickly as the current situation allows. Despite the public perception, shortages are not the problem – the problem lies with supplying the current unprecedented demand for goods. As a result, the usual efficient and cost-effective delivery schedules have gone out of the window.”