RHA urges government to increase HGV parking spaces and improve roadside facilities

A government taskforce must be set up to address the chronic lack of secure HGV parking after a study found utilisation soared above 100% in some places, according to the RHA.

It was responding to a department for transport-commissioned survey of lorry parking, which found average night on-site utilisation was 85% or more for all routes in England for 11 out of 12 months, except the Midlands - which was at 62%.

In the East of England night utilisation was 99%, in the North West it was 88% and in the South East it was 89%.

The East of England peaked the highest at 119%.

The RHA urged ministers to work with the haulage industry to increase the number of lorry parking spaces to improve security for drivers.

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Richard Smith, RHA MD, said: “A taskforce can follow up on the good work of the national survey of lorry parking by identifying target areas based on current and future needs, scoping potential sites for new facilities, and then inviting the free market to make the best business case to planning authorities.

“We’ve long pushed for more, better and safer roadside facilities,” he added.

“Drivers deserve them and developers want to build them, so now’s the time to bring the right people together to make it happen.”

The RHA said it also continued to campaign for planning red tape to be cut to clear the way for more facilities to be built.

Last week, Logistics UK said the survey’s results showed that HGV drivers were being ignored by the government.