Truck drivers are banned by law from taking their weekly rest periods in the cab
29.05.2017
On Thursday, 25.5.2017 a change in the law affecting drivers of commercial
vehicles came in to effect in Germany, putting an end to the practice of
drivers regularly taking their weekly rest period in their vehicles.
As of Thursday, 25 May 2017, the practice of sleeping and living in the cab has been stopped. The legally binding change to the Fahrpersonalgesetz (‘Commercial Drivers’ Act’) was published on Wednesday in the Federal Law Gazette, becoming law on the day after its announcement. This means that since Thursday, it has been illegal in Germany for drivers to take their regular weekly rest period in the cabs of their vehicles. In March, both houses of the German Parliament passed the resolution, in response to an initiative by the CDU/CSU and SPD Parties, to enact this change in the Fahrpersonalgesetz. The new ruling makes it clear that in the future, both the driver and the transport company will incur a fine if the regular weekly rest period is spent in the vehicle while it is on German soil.
Being able to sleep properly is now compulsory.
Until now, no legal sanction was available to deal with these cases. A ban, though implied, was not set out explicitly. From now on, in the case of an infringement, a driver is liable for a fine of 60 EUR for each hour spent in breach of this law; employers will be liable for a fine of 180 EUR. Drivers must, in the future, have an appropriate place to sleep made available to them, acknowledging their requirement for a regular weekly rest period. By adopting this new regulation, Germany is following the examples of Belgium and France, where drivers have long been prohibited from spending the regular 45-hour weekly rest period in the truck.
(Source: verkehrsrundschau.de)
As of Thursday, 25 May 2017, the practice of sleeping and living in the cab has been stopped. The legally binding change to the Fahrpersonalgesetz (‘Commercial Drivers’ Act’) was published on Wednesday in the Federal Law Gazette, becoming law on the day after its announcement. This means that since Thursday, it has been illegal in Germany for drivers to take their regular weekly rest period in the cabs of their vehicles. In March, both houses of the German Parliament passed the resolution, in response to an initiative by the CDU/CSU and SPD Parties, to enact this change in the Fahrpersonalgesetz. The new ruling makes it clear that in the future, both the driver and the transport company will incur a fine if the regular weekly rest period is spent in the vehicle while it is on German soil.
Being able to sleep properly is now compulsory.
Until now, no legal sanction was available to deal with these cases. A ban, though implied, was not set out explicitly. From now on, in the case of an infringement, a driver is liable for a fine of 60 EUR for each hour spent in breach of this law; employers will be liable for a fine of 180 EUR. Drivers must, in the future, have an appropriate place to sleep made available to them, acknowledging their requirement for a regular weekly rest period. By adopting this new regulation, Germany is following the examples of Belgium and France, where drivers have long been prohibited from spending the regular 45-hour weekly rest period in the truck.
(Source: verkehrsrundschau.de)