The Department for Transport (DfT) has concluded that the temporary relaxation of drivers’ hours rules will end on 14 June 2020.
The temporary relaxation was introduced in England, Scotland and Wales on 23 March 2020 as the UK lockdown came into force. The relaxation of the rule was in response to the unprecedented pressures on local and national supply chains, stemming from the COVID-19 outbreak.
The DfT said the decision was made based on current evidence available to it and the relaxation of the GB rules will end at 23:59 on 14 June 2020.
The decision comes despite pleas from the FTA, which said that the continued extension of delivery hours would be vital to support the nation’s economic and societal recovery from the COVID-19 outbreak.
‘Non-essential retail’ is able to reopen from 15 June 2020. EU drivers’ hours rules were also relaxed, but this came to an end on 31 May 2020.
The GB rule relaxation meant the replacement of the GB duty time limit of 11 hours with 12 hours and the GB daily driving time limit of 10 hours with 11 hours – during five days in any seven-day period, with a mandatory rest period of 24 hours within the same seven-day period when taking advantage of the relaxation.
