Records of hours worked
Page 59
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-IAVING examined, over the past few weeks. :he permitted hours of work for drivers under :he old and new legislation, it now seems ogical to pass on to the records they are -equired to keep of these hours of work.
The Minister of Transport is given power in :he 1968 Transport Act to make regulations • equiring written records to be kept. It may be
:hat any new regulations could be more itringent than the present ones, as reference s made to keeping records in such books as -nay be specified and for employers to maintain .egisters with respect to the books.
It is not possible to forecast what such new .egulations may contain and it would be better ,o examine the regulations as they stand at he present time.
The subject is dealt with in comparatively )Id legislation, the Goods Vehicles (Keeping )f Records) Regulations, 1935. It is laid down hat every driver shall keep and every holder rf a licence (i.e. an A. B or C licence) shall ;ause to be kept a current record divided into )eriods of 24 consecutive hours which shall )ive the information prescribed in one of four orms. Which form is used depends on the type rf employment. Form 1 is for the use of a fullime driver employed on collection or delivery vork within a radius of 25 miles from his loadng base. Form 2 is for a part-time driver employed on the same type of work, and Form 3 and Form 4 are for fulland part-time drivers on journey work.
Mail van drivers need only keep modified records and drivers of vehicles used in the business of agriculture need not keep them unless the journey on which they are engaged is outside a radius of 25 miles from where the vehicle is usually kept.
Travelling showmen are exempt from the requirements except where the vehicle is used on a journey of more than 50 miles in any period of 24 hours.
Under the Transport Act 1968. carriers' licences are no longer required for goods vehicles not exceeding 30 cwt unladen and consequently the obligation to keep records of hours worked is no longer present. But limitations on drivers' hours of work still apply.
The forms illustrated in the Regulations need not be-used providing all the necessary information is recorded in such a manner as to be readily identifiable by any person empowered to examine the records. If the load carried at any one time does not exceed 24tons it is sufficient if the entry "Not exceeding 21 tons" is made in lieu of the information required to be given in the column "Max. weight at any one time."
The record must be carried by the driver until he has completed his Work for the period to which the record relates. He must then sign and deliver them to his employer. The records must be preserved for three months and up to six months if required by the Licensing Authority or a chief officer of police.