1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184 
Union rep hits out at Inhuman' restridions
Page 14
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
A T&G branch secretary highlights issues with truck
parking and facilities at UK docks. Sally Nash reports.
TRANSPORTAND GENERAL Workers Union (T&G) branch secretary Jack Crossfield has tired off a letter to Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander over the lack of secure parking and facilities for drivers at docks in the UK.
Crossfield, who represents 800 drivers in the North-West, points out that while drivers can wait at container ports for up to six hours, there are usually no canteen or toilet facilities available to them.
At Tilbury docks, the situation seems to be getting worse and drivers cannot leave once they have a booking slot because they will not get back in," Crossfield says."These restrictions are inhuman and something needs to be done."
Parking around docks is at a critical level, stresses Crossfield. In the past there were suitable LGV parking sites near the docks that drivers used, but many authorities have closed these down. He cites Southampton as an example.
"Any spare land is being developed, usually into car parks," says Crossfield. "With established truckers' cafes being bought out by the likes of Little Chef and so on, there are few places where drivers can park safely now."
Even service stations on motorways are not properly secure, claims Crossfield. High demand for parking means drivers can find themselves parking on the hard shoulder of the exit of the station —an unsafe practice.
Crossfield warns Alexander that the situation cannot carry on in this way. "The government can't allow these issues to continue; unless action is taken immediately, accidents are going to happen."