n I am employed as an ambul
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ance driver and I am instructed that I do not need to keep a record hook yet I must observe the drivers' hours regulations. These seem to me to he contradictory statements/or if Ido not keep records how can my hours he checked?
AYou will see from a previous answer (CM December 13) that we said that ambulance drivers should keep record books; by this we meant that it would be more prudent to do so. The Department of the Environment is receiving many inquiries still from employers of ambulance drivers about hours and records and it has produced a brief summary of hours and emergency provisions under which ambulance drivers should work. This is reproduced below for your guidance.
On the question of records, the inference is that because the Depart ment has taken the trouble to produce the summary, it is keen that ambulance drivers should conform to the hours rules. In that case there is no reason why the enforcement staff should not make checks. Unless the driver keeps a record, the only check that can be made is from paybills — not a satisfactory check on hours in our opinion. It would, therefore, be prudent to maintain a record of driving and working hours and the simplest way is to use the prescribed drivers' record book though these are not compulsory for ambulance drivers.
It is true that all commercial vehicle drivers should observe the hours rules though, in general, if the vehicles they drive are not subject to operators' licensing they need not keep records. H owever, we feel that ambulance drivers, if they drive vehicles over 30 cwt unladen, would be well advised to record time worked and hours of driving.