Drivers shortages in the UK - Government announces a temporary extension of driver's hours

Following numerous reports of shortages of drivers and pressures on local and national supply chains, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced a temporary relaxation of the enforcement of the retained EU drivers’ hours rules in England, Scotland and Wales. The flexibility can either mean an increase in the hours a driver is allowed to work in a day or a change in the weekly rest period which means they can rest less and work more. Find more details here.

In place from 12 July 2021 until 8 August 2021, it will l allow drivers from a range of sectors to have the flexibility to drive for longer. However, it only covers driving undertaken within Great Britain and Government doesn't recommend using the rules for drivers engaged partly in international journeys.

Despite the current pressures faced by the logistics sector, the REC echoes the Government in saying that driver safety must not be compromised.

As employers, members remain responsible for the health and safety of their employees and other road users. The practical implementation of the temporary relaxation should be through an agreement between employers and employees and driver representatives. Please make sure you read and follow all the steps in the official guidance if you want to make use of this relaxation.

This relaxation is intended only for exceptional circumstances and subject to a notification to the Department for Transport. Note that failure to comply with the requirements can lead to investigatory action by enforcement authorities.

This announcement comes on the back of campaigning by the REC and logistics bodies who have been warning Government about a serious shortage of drivers for some time now, so it is good to see the Department for Transport acknowledge this and start to take action to tackle it. We hope this is the first of many steps to address the issue and we all must remain vigilant to the safety of employees and our roads.

This week, the Secretary of State for Transport also announced a ramp-up in the number of tests. We urge Government to release more information on this soon. The backlog in tests due to Covid seriously aggravated a pre-existing crisis. We welcome any urgent action to increase the number of tests offered and look forward to supporting Government where we can.

In fact, more needs to be done to solve this crisis by ensuring the sector remains attractive not only to bring on new drivers but also to retain the current workforce. We look forward to engaging further with Government and members on this.

And, as part of our work on this, we are asking members to submit a response to a survey from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) regarding the shortage of drivers in the food supply chain. This will help inform the debate and prompt responses to the issues you're facing on a daily basis.

Members willing to discuss any of the above can get in touch at policy@rec.uk.com