Logistics UK has once again urged the UK Government to do more to provide more safe parking spaces for HGV drivers working across the country.
The comments from the logistics association were a response to last week’s Transport Focus’ 2020-2021 Logistics and Coach Survey, in which the quality, security, and value for money on offer at the UK’s rest stops were all slammed by truckers.
In a statement, Michelle Gardner, Head of Public Policy at Logistics UK, said that the UK Government has failed to live up to its promises:
Logistics UK is pressing the Department for Transport (DfT) to take urgent action to tackle the nationwide shortage of parking spaces for HGV drivers; the findings of today’s report – that 56% of respondents rate the availability of spaces for lorries as fairly poor or very poor – reconfirms a desperate industry need. Three years ago, the government pledged to increase the availability of secure, safe parking spaces for lorry drivers – who work tirelessly to transport the goods the nation needs – but it has not yet delivered on its promise. With the industry already needing to fill 76,000 HGV driver vacancies, the parking shortage and resultant need, on occasion, for drivers to take legally mandated breaks in unsafe locations could discourage new entrants from joining the profession.
Ms Gardner then went on to stress that the government needs to listen to the concerns of businesses shared in the report:
Our members need government to listen carefully to the concerns of businesses shared in the report. The logistics industry needs an efficient and fully maintained road network, with plentiful supplies of good quality parking options, to operate effectively; this is vital to enable logistics businesses to support the economic recovery of UK PLC.
Photo credit: David Dixon / Geograph UK