More parking spaces, better facilities and stronger security.
Commercial vehicle drivers are the backbone of our economy. It is crucial that drivers have access to proper roadside facilities if they are to effectively carry out their critical role of keeping our supply chains moving.
Nationally there is an estimated 11,000 lorry parking space shortage. With utilisation of lorry parking spaces at 83% nationally, and as high as 100% on some key routes, the lack of available facilities on our road network makes recruitment, retention and diversity of drivers much more difficult.
The lack of safe, secure parking and welfare facilities available to drivers, results in many drivers having to take their rest periods in their vehicles at the side of the road with no access to hygiene facilities. These drivers are also at risk of freight crime, which is a constant danger to those who have no choice but to park off site in laybys and industrial estates.
Operators of lorry parking sites have no commercial incentive to invest or improve their facilities. Overall dissatisfaction with UK roadside facilities is high at around 62%. Our driver facilities campaign aims to secure more lorry and coach parking, improve the overall standard of driver facilities, and highlight the importance of driver welfare and wellbeing.
The RHA supports the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service, the police unit that gathers intelligence and helps tackle freight crime. We are also working directly on practical measures that can improve both capacity and standards of truck parking in the UK through a Government taskforce. This group brings together Government and road haulage industry stakeholders to explore and overcome the issues preventing the creation of the strong network of truck parking facilities the UK economy needs.
In the last two years, the RHA has successfully lobbied for:
- £100m combined government/industry investment for truck parking improvements.
- A Government and Industry Taskforce to address issues limiting the construction of new truck parking facilities.
- A call for evidence looking at the impact of current planning policy on freight and logistics.
Our key asks on driver facilities are:
- Reform of planning policies and the National Planning Policy Framework to make it easier to get truck parking applications approved.
- Ensure lorry parking is embedded in all major National Highways building works, particularly Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects and those that form part of the Road Investment Strategy
- Development of National Freight Network with truck parking facilities at its core
- More priority on tackling freight crime, including its recognition as an organised criminal activity and direct government support for NaVCIS.