lours honeymoon...
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"HONEYMOON" period Ling six months would be a !risible" way to start the ased introduction of the C Regulation on drivers' teferring to Regulation ■ /69 which in theory beire law in Britain on nary 1, Transport Minister !Ham Rodgers said: "The vernment fully recognises it in spite of the transitional angements, the adaptation the wholly new legal struce of the EEC Regulation d to certain changes in ual limits cannot in practice achieved immediately."
3ut although 543/69 is in !ory law now, in practice no ialties for breaking the law rid start to be imposed until 3ruary 26.
itIr Rodgers has already de a Commencement Order nging in the penalties contied in The Road Traffic rivers' Ages and Hours) Act kt the same time he has laid 'ore Parliament a statutory trument which can lie for a iximum of 21 days before :oming law.
kithough enforcement authorities have been advised of the honeymoon period, it is not mandatory or statutory, and prosecutions could be brought inside the six months.
Other provisions applicable immediately are: a weekly driving limit of 60 hours for buses and a requirement for all bus crews to keep records. (None of these provisions applies to buses on regular routes under 31 miles.) During the next three years the timetable for the most important changes in driving hours is as follows: Daily driving period: Lorries — down from 10 to 91/2 hours in December, 9 hours in July 1979 and 8 hours in January 1981. Buses down from 10 to 91/2 hours in December, to 9 hours in October 1979 and to 8 hours in January 1981.
Continuous driving period: Lorries — 5 hours until July 1979, to 41/2 hours until December 1980 and then 4 hours. Buses, 51/2 hours until December 1978, down to 5 hours until October 1979, 41/2 hours until January 1981, then 4 hours.