Safe rest areas: European hauliers oppose taking their regular weekly rest in their cabs.

Hauliers’ associations from Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland have challenged the Esporg study which, citing a shortage of adequate parking spaces, suggests relaxing the ban on taking regular rest in cabs. The associations are calling for a clear stance from the European Commission on the shortage of rest areas. They are contesting the proposal contained in the recent Esporg study, which recommends easing the ban on regular rest in cabs due to difficulties in finding and developing suitable parking facilities. The European road transport associations involved are those represented under the CRTO (Common Road Transport Office) platform, which includes the German BGL, the French FNTR, the NLA representing companies from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland, the Belgian FEBETRA, and the Dutch TLN. The study proposes allowing drivers to take their regular weekly rest in the cabs of their lorries if parked in rest areas classified as “platinum” or “gold”, taking into account the recent European Court of Justice ruling that eliminated the obligation for vehicles to return to their country of origin every eight weeks. The study commissioned by the European Commission therefore suggests revising the ban on spending regular weekly rest periods in vehicle cabs. While awaiting the European Commission’s final report to the Council and the European Parliament on rest areas, in light of the study, the major European associations "invite all stakeholders to carefully consider the issue of the shortage of rest areas with adequate comfort standards".