Professional drivers’ exemption would tackle 90/180 challenges

  |   Road Transport   |   Professional drivers' exemption would tackle 90/180 challenges

2 hours ago

On 12 October, the EU will roll out the Entry/Exit System (EES), replacing passport stamping with biometric checks at Schengen borders. This system will also be used to strictly enforce the 90/180 rule which will affects UK passport holders visiting Europe. This is a problem for haulage and coach operators on international work and will have wider implications for the UK economy and supply chain security with greater reliance on EU carriers.

Whilst shippers have benefitted from decades of chasing domestic and international haulage rates to the bottom by using ever cheaper hauliers from Eastern Europe and beyond, the cost to the UK economy has never been considered by successive governments who have failed to offer any protection to UK operators. There are tax revenue implications too if UK operators lose work to overseas hauliers - less income tax, corporation tax, vat on truck and trailer purchases, fuel duty... The relevance of the 90/180 to this historic problem will come in many ways; the obvious risk is to our very successful event hauliers, servicing the music, racing and arts sectors.

The very nature of this work requires trucks to spend weeks or months on tour, but also the regular backwards and forwards nature of import and export work. A couple of loads per week to Paris for example will soon rack up 90 days in 180, and that's without taking the drivers own holidays in Europe into account which will also be included. Could this also open the door for yet more abuse of the cabotage system, which appears to be largely misunderstood or ignored by UK enforcement authorities?

UK ports are filled with unaccompanied trailers arriving from EU. On a Sunday night some of the trailers will be accompanied by an EU registered truck which will work in the UK all week, tipping and loading trailers with international loads or on domestic work if quiet, only crossing back into the EU on a Friday to fill up with cheaper EU fuel, then repeat for 50 weeks. No input whatsoever into UK PLC...

We continue to raise with government these concerns asking for a visa of exemption for the drivers effected to allow the UK to have an international haulage sector.