EU Regulation 561/2006, concerning driving time and rest periods, could be revised, with the proposal submitted by the European Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on May 31, 2017.
The text includes, among other things, the expansion of the 12-day regulation. Currently, coach drivers engaged in a single occasional service of international transport of passengers may postpone their weekly rest period after 12 days in order to facilitate coach holidays. However, this only applies to cross-border transport.
The Commission stated that its impact assessment had revealed an enlargement of the regulation to cover domestic traffic would have no drawbacks for drivers and road safety.
The average weekly rest period is expected to continue at 45 hours. However, more flexibility is to be given in a four-week overall period. This means a driver must take a coherent rest period of at least 24 hours at the end of each week and at the end of the four weeks – a total of 180 hours of rest.
A CPT spokesman told CBW that the package when published on May 31 is not expected to include alterations to the 12 day rule, but it is thought some changes will be implemented during the following consultation process.
