The All-party Parliamentary Group on Freight and Logistics will conduct a wide-ranging inquiry into driver physical and mental health, with chair Rachel Taylor MP calling the state of UK driver facilities ‘a scandal’ and pledging to take evidence from across the road transport sector.
The All-party Parliamentary Group on Freight and Logistics (APPG) will hold an enquiry into driver health and well-being and present its findings to ministers when it reports next year, the group’s chair Rachel Taylor MP announced last week.
Speaking at Driver Health Day at Loughborough University on September 4, one of a series of events taking place around the UK as part of Driver Health Week which ran from September 1 to 6, Taylor caught delegates by surprise with the news.
Logistics UK senior policy manager - road freight regulation Chris Yarsley responded: “We look forward to working with Ms Taylor and the APPG, contributing Logistics UK’s expertise and members’ insights to support the development of the report.”
Taylor, Labour MP for the “golden triangle” constituency of North Warwickshire and Bedworth, called the state of facilities for HGV drivers “a scandal” and said the APPG was “determined to make sure government takes the health of drivers seriously”.
“One fifth of my constituents work in logistics,” she said. “We expect a lot from professional drivers and they carry a huge amount of responsibility. But for too long driver health has been pushed onto the back seat.
“It is difficult to be healthy when doing long shifts behind the wheel and our poor driver facilities are a scandal. They work alone, suffering stress, anxiety, loneliness and exhaustion. They need to work and worry if reporting a health issue means they could lose their job.”
Taylor pointed out that the UK will not get the economic growth the government is targeting without a strong road transport industry and that is why she has launched the APPG enquiry.
“We want to hear from drivers, operators, trades unions, health professionals, researchers and organisations across the road transport sector,” she said. “That evidence will help us understand the physical and mental health challenges that drivers face and which practical changes would make the greatest difference.
“That evidence I can assure you will be discussed with government ministers.”
Taylor went on to say that some changes were so crucial that they couldn’t wait for the APPG’s report next year.
“Drivers need secure places to stop, clean toilets and showers, healthier food choices and proper opportunities to rest,” she said. “They need access to health support that works around the realities of their working hours. These are not optional extras; they are basic infrastructure for an industry on which the whole country relies.”
There are already some good examples of operators in Taylor’s constituency providing excellent driver facilities and wellbeing support but she said that high standard had to be applied across the industry.
“That standard can’t depend on which company someone works for or which part of the country they are driving in,” she said. “My request to every operator is to ask your drivers what makes it harder for them to look after their health and listen carefully.”
