MPs right to call on haulage firms to improve ‘squalid’ drivers’ facilities – says British Safety Council CEO
Commenting on the report by the Transport Select Committee published today (1 June) calling on the Government to give the haulage industry two years to provide suitable facilities for drivers to park, sleep and wash during overnight trips in the UK, and threaten a tax on operators if it fails to do so, Mike Robinson, Chief Executive of British Safety Council, said:
“MPs are right to call for better facilities for HGV drivers as the lack of good wash facilities, toilets and parking places not only deters people from joining the industry the frankly squalid conditions are forcing people to leave the sector in their droves. Last year, for example, nearly a third of the people who had just joined voted with their feet and left. This has a knock-on effect on the whole supply chain, exacerbates the cost-of-living crisis, and the Government must work harder with the sector to raise its game and retain its workforce better.
“The MPs’ proposal of a new levy on the industry, should it fail to deliver better facilities, should be considered a last resort given the current rise in operating costs. Setting minimum quality standards for driver facilities, including for women drivers, does make sense. The Government should take note of this important report and act on its recommendations.”
British Safety Council published an article in Safety Management in March 2022 on the poor conditions being faced by HGV drivers: https://britsafe.org/publications/safety-management-magazine/safety-management-magazine/2022/time-to-drive-up-standards/
Read the Transport Select Committee’s report here: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/153/transport-committee/news/171207/tackle-road-freight-supply-chain-in-two-years-or-impose-industry-levy-warn-mps/
