HGV drivers in England are set to benefit from improved roadside facilities following the Department for Transport’s (DfT) announcement of joint investment from government and industry totalling £16.5m to upgrade truck stops.
According to the DfT, 38 truck stops across England will benefit from ‘better rest areas, improved welfare facilities and more secure parking’.
Upgrades will include ‘new showers and restaurants, as well as better lighting and secure fencing around rest areas so drivers can feel safer and sleep with greater peace of mind’, as well as the creation of ‘around 430 new parking spaces for HGVs to free up local roads’.
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Of the total investment, £6m will come from the DfT, with the remaining £10.5m coming from industry.
This funding is part of a total investment of up to £100m in improving HGV roadside facilities from government and industry, announced by then parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department for Transport Richard Holden MP in November 2022.
Such investment is key to the government’s plan to ‘grow the economy by improving working conditions for lorry drivers, supporting new jobs in the haulage industry and attracting more people towards a brilliant career in logistics, to deliver a brighter future for all’.
Driver shortages in the UK have been well-documented and remain an issue for the logistics industry. It is hoped that better facilities will make the prospect of a career in HGV driving more attractive.
The government also extended its HGV driver training scheme in April 2023 in an effort to increase the number of trained HGV drivers on the UK’s roads.
Between March and May 2022, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency reportedly carried out 29,384 HGV tests – 54% more than the corresponding period in 2019, before the pandemic.
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The DfT adds that ‘the crucial improvements will also help decarbonise the haulage sector by installing new charge points to power electric HGVs and solar panels on lorry driver facilities to make them as sustainable as possible’.
National Highways’ customer experience director, Pete Martin, said: “We continue to work closely with operators of roadside facilities to help improve the standard of parking and other amenities they provide on motorways and major A-roads and are excited to see the results of this investment.
“We want all road users to reach their destination safely and encourage everyone, from those who drive as a profession through to people travelling on holiday or for leisure purposes, to plan ahead before setting off and to take regular breaks.”
Achievements and innovations in road safety will be celebrated at the third annual CiTTi Awards, which will be held on 26 November 2024 at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Nominations officially open in March 2024. Please visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector.
