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Poland extends relaxation of drivers’ hours’ regulations and allows weekly rest spent in the cabin

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Earlier relaxation of drivers’ hours’ regulations has been extended in Poland. The directive of the Minister of Infrastructure also provides an opportunity for drivers to spend their weekly rest in the truck’s cabin.

From today to 31 May, temporary relaxation of some drivers’ hours’ regulations have come into force. Mostly they are the same rules that the ministry announced in mid-March:

  • the daily driving time may not exceed 11 hours (and therefore no loosening in the scope of daily and weekly rest periods will apply – regulates the directive),
  • the weekly driving time may not exceed 60 hours,
  • the total biweekly driving time may not exceed 96 hours,
  • after a driving period of five and a half hours, the driver is entitled to a continuous break of at least forty-five minutes.

However, this is not all. The directive pointed out that the driver can also spend his regular weekly rest in the truck’s cabin, „as long as there is an adequate sleeping place for each driver and the vehicle is parked properly”. The decision to spend such rest is up to the driver.

What happens during an inspection?

The changes have been recognised by the European Commission, which means that when travelling on European roads, drivers, in the event of an inspection, should indicate „handwritten on the back of the analogue tachograph record sheet or the printout from the digital tachograph, the use of the relaxations referred to above”.

The relaxation of the above-mentioned provisions applies to drivers performing road freight transport. Those who transport passengers can use them only if they transport passengers „to their countries of residence”.

Photo: Trans.INFO

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