BRUSSELS, 24 April 2018, industry stakeholders and policy makers discussed the challenges of the current and future legislation on the resting time for truck drivers in the EU. The lunch debate was organised by the European Logistics Platform and was hosted by Member of the European Parliament Elżbieta Łukacijewska.
Ms Łukacijewska noted that “safety and security for the driver, the vehicle, and the goods are absolutely necessary. However, the drivers prefer to spend their rest periods in their cabin, so providing secure parking is a better option than obliging drivers to go to a hotel.” Wim van de Camp MEP, rapporteur on the European Commission Proposal amending Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 on driving time and rest periods, noted that “financing of secure parking areas should be ensured first by the market.”
For ESC, it is very important that cargo is safe, if the driver is taking a long weekend rest. A truck at a non-protected parking without a driver could end in a horror scenario for the shipper. In line with the report of the Rapporteur of the European Parliament, Mr van de Camp, ESC considers sleeping at a safe parking area as an acceptable compromise. For that reason, the availability of safe parking facilities, also outside logistical hubs, is essential. Responding to this European Shippers’ concern about the availability of parking outside the logistical hubs, the representative from the European Commission informed that in the framework of the EC study they drew a map of the available parking facilities, the gaps, and the areas where the parking facilities are needed most urgently.
For more information about the event, please see here.