The Department for Transport recently announced £8m in funding to help improve truck roadside facilities for lorry drivers.
A total of 39 roadside facility operators will receive a share of the funding, which will help to boost welfare facilities like showers, rest areas and restaurants and increase HGV parking capacity while improving security for drivers.
This funding will be matched by £11m from industry to significantly upgrade truck stops across the country.
The funding comes from the Government’s HGV Parking and Driver Welfare Grant Scheme and forms part of up to £100 million joint investment between government and industry to support the logistics sector, helping to boost economic growth.
Today also marks the launch of the second window for roadside facility operators to bid for further funding to continue improving lorry roadside facilities across England. The window will close on 20 November 2023.
The scheme draws on ‘The National Survey on Lorry Parking’, which provides important evidence as to what improvements are needed and where to boost the nation’s roadside infrastructure. The measure is part of the Government’s 33 actions to address the shortage of HGV drivers and boost recruitment and retention.
With hauliers required to take mandatory breaks and rest periods, building better roadside facilities will improve the quality of HGV drivers’ rest and recovery, ensuring everyone can feel safe on our roads.
Britain’s roads are already among the safest in the world, and the government is committed to helping the sector improve driver welfare, boost drivers’ security, and continue to guarantee road safety.
Roads Minister Richard Holden said:
“Day and night, our lorry drivers and hauliers work tirelessly to deliver essential food, goods and medical supplies up and down the country.
As we continue supporting the haulage sector in playing its crucial role in helping to grow the economy, these first winners will help ensure lorry drivers have great facilities where they can safely park, sleep and rest.”
Policy director at Logistics UK, Kate Jennings, said:
“Today’s announcement will be welcome news for the professional drivers using the UK’s road network, who are often forced to take legally mandated rest breaks in their cabs without access to hygiene facilities due to a chronic lack of welfare provision on key routes.
This announcement is a positive step forward, and our members operating in England will welcome the planned improvements to accessible facilities for them to access during the course of their working days.”
Source gov.uk
