The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced joint investment from government and industry totalling £16.5 million for the improvement of roadside facilities for HGV drivers in England.
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’.
Pete Martin, National Highways’ customer experience director, 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.”
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 (DVSA) reportedly carried out 29,384 HGV tests – 54% more than the corresponding period in 2019, before the pandemic.
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’.
For more on electric vehicles in the logistics sector and a Q&A with the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee’s Baroness Parminter discussing the government’s electric vehicle policies, check out this feature in the March issue of Logistics Manager!
