- Lorry drivers will enjoy better rest areas and more secure
parking thanks to nearly £8 million awarded to 39 roadside
facility operators across England
- Funding part of up to £100 million in joint government and
industry investment to improve roadside facilities, supporting
recruitment and workforce retention
- Second round of funding opened today for roadside operators
to bid for further investment, as government continues to support
the haulage sector and grow the economy
Lorry drivers across England will benefit from better roadside
facilities, more secure parking and improved rest areas thanks to
£8 million in government funding awarded today (11 September).
A total of 39 roadside facility operators across England will
each receive a share of £8 million from the department and a
further £11 million from industry to significantly upgrade truck
stops for lorry drivers.
The improvements will boost welfare facilities like showers, rest
areas and restaurants, and increase HGV parking capacity while
improving security for drivers.
The funding comes from the Government’s HGV Parking and Driver
Welfare Grant Scheme and forms part of the up to £100 million
joint investment between government and industry to support the
logistics sector, helping to boost economic growth.
Today also marks the launch of the second window for roadside
facility operators to bid for further
funding to continue improving lorry roadside facilities
across England. The window will close on 20 November
2023.
The measure is part of the Government’s 33 actions to address
the shortage of HGV drivers and boost recruitment and
retention.
Roads Minister said:
“Day and night, our lorry drivers and hauliers work tirelessly to
deliver essential food, goods and medical supplies up and down
the country.
“As we continue supporting the haulage sector in playing their
crucial role in helping to grow the economy, these first winners
will help ensure lorry drivers have great facilities where they
can safely park, sleep and rest.”
The scheme draws on ‘The National Survey on
Lorry Parking’ which provides important evidence as to what
improvements are needed and where to boost the nation’s roadside
infrastructure.
With hauliers required to take mandatory breaks and rest periods,
building better roadside facilities will improve the quality of
HGV drivers’ rest and recovery, ensuring everyone can feel safe
on our roads.
Britain’s roads are already among the safest in the world, and
the government is committed to helping the sector improve driver
welfare, boost drivers’ security, and continue to guarantee road
safety.
In total, both government and industry will look to spend up to
£100 million through to March 2025 to improve lorry roadside
facilities for drivers.
Policy director at Logistics UK, Kate Jennings,
said:
"Today’s announcement will be welcome news for the professional
drivers using the UK’s roads network, who are often forced to
take legally mandated rest breaks in their cabs, without access
to hygiene facilities, due to a chronic lack of welfare provision
on key routes.
"This announcement is a positive step forward and our members
operating in England will welcome the planned improvements to
accessible facilities for them to access during the course of
their working days.”
The Government’s 33 actions to support Britain’s haulage sector
include investing £34 million to create up to 11,000 HGV driver
training places through Skills Bootcamps, and increasing the
number of HGV driver tests by 90% compared to pre-pandemic
levels.
Richard Smith, RHA Managing Director, said:
“We are pleased that the first tranche of grants has been
announced and that lorry drivers will soon benefit from the
improvements this scheme is helping to fund.
“We would encourage other operators to apply for funding to help
them upgrade too. Better facilities, and more safe and
secure parking for truckers are a key priority for our industry.”
Mike Heaton, Head of Estate Development Roadside
Services from Certas Energy UK, said:
“Enhancing driver welfare and ensuring that hauliers have
somewhere safe, clean and secure to park their vehicles is a
leading priority of our business - and the DfT funding is a vital
step in giving drivers the facilities they deserve.
“DfT has Certas Energy’s ongoing support on their mission to
improve driver facilities.
Notes to editors
- The up to £100 million joint investment from government and
industry includes £20 million from National Highways, which will
also be matched by industry.
