End of temporary relaxation of enforcement of drivers' hours and working time rules

The series of relaxations (as extended) to the enforcement of the EU drivers' hours rules and working time rules linked to the winter weather in January 2010 have now expired.

These administrative relaxations applied to drivers involved in the following industries at the following times.

• Distribution of road salt: Thursday 7 January to 23.59 hours on Monday 18 January 2010
• Distribution of animal feed from animal feed manufacturers to farms: Friday 8 January to 23.59 hours on Monday 18 January 2010
• Distribution of de-icer products direct to airports: Friday 8 January to 23.59 hours on Monday 18 January 2010
• Bulk milk tankers: 9 January to 23.59 hours on Monday 18 January 2010
• Distribution of heating oil (referred to as 'fuel oil' in first relaxation):
  • to domestic and agricultural premises (remote areas of Scotland) from Saturday 9 January to 23.59 hours on Monday 11 January 2010
  • (whole of UK) and not limited to domestic and agricultural premises from 23.59 hours on Monday 11 January to 23.59 hours on Monday 25 January 2010
• Distribution of Liquid Petroleum Gas (referred to as 'fuel oil' in first relaxation):
  • to domestic and agricultural premises (remote areas of Scotland) from Saturday 9 January to 23.59 hours on Monday 11 January 2010
  • (whole of UK) and not limited to domestic and agricultural premises from 23.59 on Monday 11 January to 23.59 hours on Monday 1 February 2010
• Distribution of gas oil from 23.59 on Monday 18 January to 23.59 hours on Monday 25 January 2010

Enforcement of the EU drivers' hours rules was relaxed as follows.

• Replacement of the EU daily driving limit of 9 hours with one of 10 hours
• Reduction of the daily rest requirements from 11 to 9 hours
• Lifting the weekly (56 hours) and fortnightly driving limit (90 hours)
• Further postponing the weekly rest requirement until the expiry date as above, at which stage a driver had to take a minimum rest of 24 hours (with no compensatory rest required)
• The requirement to take a 45 minute break after 4½ hours driving remained and was rigorously enforced

In addition, from 11 January, a minimum rest of 24 hours beginning no later than the end of the eleventh day since the end of the last weekly rest period was required.

Enforcement of the working time rules was relaxed by lifting the 60-hour cap on working time for all drivers involved in the industries above from 7 January to 23.59 hours on 25 January 2010.

From 23.59 hours on 25 January to 23.59 hours on 1 February, a limit of 66 hours' weekly working time applied to drivers involved in the distribution of Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG).

For the purposes of calculating the requirement for weekly rest, and the fortnightly driving limit, enforcement agencies will be asked not to take account of any time spent driving or on duty for up to 11 consecutive days since a previous weekly rest period, from 11 January until the expiration dates (inclusive) as above.

For the purposes of calculating a compensatory rest due to be taken during the temporary relaxation, the following may be used as a guide.