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Tachograph rules relaxed for rental company drivers
Page 12
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By Joanna Bourke THE GOVERNMENT has announced that rental company drivers are now exempt from EU tachograph responsibilities.
The result comes after campaigning by the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA). Minibuses and HGVs over 3.5 tonnes will be free from tacho legislation as long as the vehicles are being delivered, collected or moved by rental company drivers.
However, the Department for Transport (DfT) has the ability to change its position on the rule if it appears to be abused. The BVRLA claimed that using tachos for internal rental drop-offs, which has been necessary until now, was costly and complex.
Tom Abernethy, director at Bell Trailer Rental, Lancashire, highlights the strain prior to the decision: "We've all been legally and financially under pressure to comply with this."
John Lewis, director general at BVRLA, comments: -We have obtained a fair result. Their staff should have to abide by drivers' hours rules like everyone else, but the extra burden of locking in and out of a tachograph after delivering or collecting a vehicle was unnecessary." Under the relaxed law, drivers will still need to stick to the domestic drivers' hours rules, set at a maximum of 10 hours per day and 90 per fortnight.
To comply, leasing company drivers must not carry freight or passengers during their period of employment.
The BVRLA represents a fleet of 12,000 minibuses and 170,000 CVs of over 3.5 tonnes. Abernethy cites fuel costs as the next issue to be addressed: "It's crippling our customers, from the big ones to the small ones."