The Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations 2005 take effect

The Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations 2005 take effect New working time rules for drivers take effect from today, (April 4, 2005). The main provisions of the new Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations are: weekly working time is limited to an average of 48 hours (normally calculated over a four month reference period), a maximum of 60 hours work can be performed in a single week, so long as the average 48 hour limit is maintained, night workers are restricted to 10 hours working time in any 24 hour period, requirements relating to breaks that workers must be allowed.

In addition, under the new Regulations: where there is either a collective agreement or a workforce agreement at company level between the employer and employees, companies will be able to use the derogations available under the Directive:- the 4 month reference period for calculating the average 48 hour week can be extended to 6 months the 10 hour limit (over a 24 hour period) for night workers can be exceeded, although the 60 hour weekly limit will still apply, and drivers will still have to respect the EU drivers' hours rules the definition of "night time" is a period between 00.00-04.00 for drivers and crew of goods vehicles and 01.00-05.00 for drivers and crew of passenger vehicles, workers who occasionally perform road transport activities will be subject to the Working Time Regulations 1998 (as amended) rather than these new Regulations. Self-employed drivers will not be covered by the new Regulations until March 2009.

See also working time regulations for drivers

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