Temporary relaxation of EU drivers' hours and working time rules for the distribution of salt

The Department for Transport has agreed to a temporary, and limited, emergency relaxation of the enforcement of EU drivers’ hours and working-time rules for those hauliers involved in the distribution of road salt.

This temporary relaxation applies immediately and will run until 23:59 Sunday 10 January 2010 and will apply only to those drivers involved in the distribution of road salt. For the drivers and work in question, the EU drivers' hours rules will be temporarily relaxed as follows:-

 *   Replace the EU daily driving limit of 9 hours with one of 10 hours

 *   Reduce the daily rest requirements from 11 to 9 hours

 *   Lift the weekly (56 hours) and fortnightly driving limit (90 hours)

 *   Postponing the weekly rest requirement until 23:59 Sunday 10 January 2010, at which stage a driver has 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 remains and will continue to be rigorously enforced.

The working time rules have also been relaxed for this period to allow drivers to work hours in excess of the usual 60 hour weekly maximum. This extra time should be recorded, but does not count for the purposes of determining average working time.

The practical implementation of the temporary relaxation should be through agreement between employers and employees and/or driver representatives. The Department also wished to make clear that driver safety must not be jeopardised. Drivers should not be expected to drive whilst tired - employers remain responsible for the safety of their employees and other road users.

The drivers in question must note on the back of their tachograph charts or printouts the reasons why they are exceeding the normally permitted limits. This is usual practice in emergencies and is, of course, essential for enforcement purposes. The temporary relaxation of the rules described above reflects the exceptional circumstances of the extreme weather conditions. The Department wished to emphasise that, as a general rule it expects business to plan for and manage the risks of disruption to supply chains.

The Department will keep these temporary arrangements under review as the full implications of the extreme weather become apparent. Members experiencing further difficulties or with queries should contact the Member Advice Centre on 0870 60 50 000.