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Removers want concessions on driving hours
Page 33
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• The National Association of Furniture Warehousemen and Removers has asked the Ministry of Transport to allow removers concessions from the new limits on driving hours which take effect next March.
In a letter to the Ministry the NAFWR argues that, if, for example, road safety is not prejudiced by allowing Post Office drivers to exceed the stated hours in order to deal with Christmas mail, then there should be no problem in allowing periodic concessions to furniture removers facing unforeseen delays.
These delays occur only from time to time but it is felt that they should be recognized by a concession on the grounds of "special need", says the Association.
Among causes of unforeseen delay it lists bad delivery conditions, with obstructions on the site; poor access to a new house, about which the customer has not been able to warn the remover, necessitating lengthy unloading. perhaps using tackle; incorrect and inadequate destination addresses, causing time-wasting searching; inability to enter premises with a load because the customer is late arriving; last-minute re-routeing of parts of a load to store instead of to a dwelling.
The NAFWR admits that these problems exist today,. but points out that the cut in hours will bring many more removals into the marginal category. A remover running out of legal working or driving time would face the dilemma of adhering strictly to the regulations or trying to mollify a complaining customer perhaps having young children and no overnight accommodation. It adds: "Since the employees concerned will almost certainly want to return home that night there will be every incentive for them to break the drivers' hours regulations, hoping that they will not be caught.
"If removal contractors were to be allowed a certain latitude to deal with these exceptional (but still not infrequent) circumstances. then it would mean that reputable furniture removers were less at the mercy of the unscrupulous operator and ensure that the regulations would be more favourably regarded and adhered to on all other occasions."