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https://www.commercialmotor.com/news/compliance/drivers-hours-rules-temporarily-relaxed-delivery-essential-items

Last night the Department for Transport relaxed the drivers' hours rules for the transport of some essential items, in order to combat panic buying caused by Coronavirus. Here is the official ducument in its entirety:

In response to requests from Industry, the Department for Transport has, pursuant to Article 14(2) of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006, agreed to a temporary and limited urgent relaxation of the enforcement of EU drivers’ hours rules in England, Scotland and Wales for the drivers of vehicles involved in the delivery of food, non-food (personal care and household paper and cleaning) and over the counter pharmaceuticals when undertaking the following journeys:

1) Distribution centre to stores (or fulfilment centre)

2) From manufacturer or supplier to distribution centre (including backhaul collections)

3) From manufacturer or supplier to store (or fulfilment centre)

4) Between distribution centres and transport hub trunking

5) Transport hub deliveries to stores

This exemption does not apply to drivers undertaking deliveries directly to consumers.

For the drivers and work in question, the EU drivers’ hours rules can be temporarily relaxed as follows:

a) Replacement of the EU daily driving limit of 9 hours with one of 11 hours;
b) Reduction of the daily rest requirements from 11 to 9 hours;
c) Lifting the weekly (56 hours) and fortnightly driving limits (90 hours) to 60 and 96 hours respectively;
d) Postponement of the requirement to start a weekly rest period after six-24 hours periods, for after seven 24 hours period; although two regular weekly rest periods or a regular and a reduced weekly rest period will still be required within a fortnight;
e) The requirements for daily breaks of 45 minutes after 4.5 hours driving replaced with replaced with a break of 45 minutes after 5.5 hours of driving.