The Department for Transport (DfT) has introduced a temporary relaxation of the enforcement of the EU drivers’ hours rules in England, Scotland and Wales for drivers involved in the delivery of Operation London Bridge during the national mourning period.
This relaxation reflects the urgent case resulting from the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the need for goods and personnel to be moved at short notice to support the main official ceremonial events taking place across Great Britain (for example, but not restricted to, Her Majesty’s state funeral).
The relaxation of the rules applies from 4pm on 9 September 2022 until 11:59pm on 22 September 2022.
This relaxation does not apply to drivers in scope of the GB domestic drivers’ hours rules and therefore not subject to tachograph controls.
Operators must notify DfT if this relaxation is used by:
completing an initial notification of relaxation form
emailing a copy of it to FOLRnotification@dft.gov.uk
They should then email a follow-up notification of relaxation form to FOLRnotification@dft.gov.uk one week after the end of the period of relaxation and by 29 September 2022 at the latest.
Drivers’ hours rules are an important road safety measure and any deviation from the rules must be a last resort when other means of mitigating a situation have failed. Therefore the temporary exceptions to the drivers’ hours rules must only be used where necessary by drivers and transport operators.
Driver safety must not be compromised. Operators and self-employed drivers must assess the risks of using the temporary relaxation and implement suitable control measures and/or mitigations, so that the safety of the driver and others is not compromised.
Further information: