DfT to release new hours guide
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NEW GUIDANCE on the breaks required under the drivers' hours and working time rules is to be published later this year by the Department for Transport (DfT) in an effort to address confusion between the two.
The guide, which will be put together by a group led by the Freight Transport Association, was announced by transport minister Stephen Hammond last week. It should help drivers understand the rules better, making compliance easier.
The decision is based on a report published simultaneously by the DfT from an industry group, which considered the creation of a new set of rules aligning the requirements for breaks under the Working Time Directive with those in the drivers' hours rules. This, however, would require a change in legislation, and drivers and crew to take a break of 45 minutes after 4.5 hours of either driving or non-driving work.
This would increase the frequency and duration of breaks for non-driving work.