Q In your report on the proposed revisions to the
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drivers' hours regulations for psv drivers, it was stated that the maximum working day would be extended from 11 hours to 16 hours. I understood that the maximum daily working hours under the 1968 Transport Act are 12+, or 14 hours under certain circumstances. Could you clarify the position?
A Under the 1968 Transport Act and the Modifications Order, the maximum working hours per day (ie on duty) are 11 hours, while the maximum hours spent on actual driving are restricted to 10 hours. The 12-1hours limit to which you -refer applies to a daily spreadover; time on duty is still restricted to 11 hours.
With reference to the 14 hours maximum, this applies to a working day during which the driver of a psv is off duty for a period or periods not less than the time by which his working day exceeds 11 hours. If the driving is done on an express or contract vehicle, this concession must be followed by a minimum rest period of 12 hours (instead of the normal 11 hours) before commencement of the next working day.
Under the proposed revision to the regulations, the working day may be extended to 16 hours, but the limit of 10 hours spent on actual driving remains; the 16-hour day is, in fact, a spreadover. However, it is not proposed that the enforcement of 12 hours of continuous rest before the start of the next working day should be continued. The normal interval will remain at the 10 hours maximum continuous rest contained in the proposals.