Gloucestershire firm The Cullimore Group’s managing director, Moreton Cullimore, is calling on British hauliers and their drivers to support a petition to make HGV driver facilities a mandatory part of the planning process for major infrastructure projects.
During COVID-19, drivers from across the haulage sector took to social media to share experiences of being denied access to rest facilities and bathrooms over the course of their duties.
As well as being the managing director of his family’s firm The Cullimore Group, Moreton Cullimore is a member of the RHA’s national board and chair of its Bristol and Gloucestershire sub-group.
“The lack of adequate, safe facilities for drivers has been a problem for far too long,” Cullimore said. “Many drivers are either forced to park in unsafe locations such as lay-bys because there is nowhere else for them to rest, putting themselves and their loads at risk.
“Truck drivers have kept the country stocked and supplied during the pandemic and are the unsung heroes of our economy. This is why I am reaching out to the wider haulage sector to show its support for this petition and improve conditions for our drivers.”
The petition, entitled ‘Review planning legislation to include facilities for HGV drivers’, has received more than 11,000 signatures at the time Trucking went to press. It can be viewed and signed online at http://bit.ly/drivers-petition
In addition to its HGV Heroes programme, where drivers are recognised for their efforts during COVID-19, this November will see the RHA’s annual National Lorry Week campaign, which encourages people to consider a career in haulage.
