RHA Recovery Group says "Give us a break Mr Livingstone"
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MSA Closure "Another Blow for Drivers" says RHA
The impending closure of Leicester Forest East service area on the M1 is a blow to lorry drivers and will undermine road safety, says the Road Haulage Association.
"We need to see more parking places and facilities for professional drivers, not less," says Chrys Rampley, RHA Manager of Infrastructure. "There is already a shortage of parking places for lorry drivers and removing the 128 hgv spaces at Leicester Forest East will make a bad situation worse.
"This isn't just a matter of truck drivers stopping when they feel the need to do so - they MUST take regular breaks by law. If not, they will be contravening the strict drivers' hours regulations under which they operate. Closing a major services area will make taking breaks more difficult," Rampley says.
"The service area is to close for large-scale junction improvements newly announced by the Highways Agency. The RHA accepts the need for the improvements but we are dismayed that there are no plans to provide alternative parking facilities.
"It is bad enough that local councils around the country close lorry parks but it is unacceptable for an executive agency of the Department for Transport to do so in this way. Adequate, secure lorry parking is an essential part of the road infrastructure and is vital if road safety standards are to be maintained," Rampley says.
The Road Haulage Association - supporting the industry on which the UK depends.
For more details, contact Kate Gibbs, RHA Communications Manager on..
Tel: 01932 838917
Mob: 07979 531451
