The Freight Transport Association (FTA) says a temporary relaxation of drivers’ hours will help freight operators make vital Christmas deliveries in Scotland after the closure of the Forth Road Bridge for emergency repairs.
The Bridge will not re-open until the New Year, causing drivers to make a 50-mile detour.
The Department for Transport (DfT) announced on Monday that drivers’ hours would be relaxed until 6 January, allowing freight and passenger vehicle drivers to drive for 11 rather than nine hours a day.
Chris MacRae, FTA’s Head of Policy for Scotland, said: “The bridge closure makes it impossible in some cases for deliveries to be made on time so this relaxation will help Scottish industry, exporters and consumers in the busy run-up to Christmas.
“No time of year would be good for this to happen, but Christmas is particularly challenging and it’s bound to have a knock-on effect of delays and additional costs in the rest of the UK. We need to get the bridge open to HGVs as soon as possible to ease the disruption –this shows just how critical it is to our national transport infrastructure.”