Following allegations that some residents in Kent are seeing truckers hurl bottles of urine into their gardens, RHA south east area manager Graham Pask has staunchly defended lorry drivers and firmly put the blame at the UK Government’s door.
During an interview KMTV broadcasted yesterday, Park stressed that a lot of drivers literally have no choice about where to do the toilet due to years of underinvestment in infrastructure and facilities.
Park said that both the current government and its predecessors have not invested enough in transport for over 30 years:
The infrastructure isn’t there to support these people. The blame lies firmly on government- this government and previous governments. The lack of investment in infrastructure for transport is 30 years plus.
In addition, Park criticised the government’s plans to relax rules over drivers’ hours:
There’s talk about extending drivers hours, but they’re already working up to 15 hours a day. I don’t think it’s right to extend the driving hours to 16 hours a day. Nobody wants to work 16 hours a day. That’s two days work for most of us, you know, eight hour days is the norm.
After warning that driver fatigue could cause fatal accidents, Park then reiterated the need for better infrastructure and facilities:
I don’t want a lorry parked in front of my house, I don’t. But what I’d like to see is a proper parking place for that lorry, you know, or something where the driver’s got facilities. That’s what we need.
The lack of infrastructure isn’t only a problem in Kent. Back in October, drivers in Staffordshire were reportedly urinating at a beauty spot due to a lack of access to sanitary facilities.
In the same month, the government announced plans to install portable toilets at the roadside for lorry drivers stuck in jams once the Brexit transition period ends.
Photo credit: Helmut Zozmann / Geograph UK