Companies within the refuse derived fuel (RDF) export sector have expressed concern about the impact of new rules coming into effect in Germany prohibiting lorry drivers from taking long rests in their cabs.
Currently, a large proportion of RDF created in the UK is exported abroad for incineration in energy from waste facilities in other European countries.
Provisional figures released by the Environment Agency earlier this year showed that during the first six months of 2017, England exported about 1.69 million tonnes of RDF, increasing from 1.67 million over the same time period in 2016. (see letsrecycle.com story)
This week RDF exporters have highlighted to letsrecycle.com concerns over rules in Germany about lorry drivers taking their long weekly rest breaks in their cabs, which could now result in a fine, and which will affect the normal routes for RDF movement.
New rules about rest periods will impact on RDF and other material shipments (picture: shutterstock)
According to the Freight Transport Association (FTA), the European Court of Justice recently made it clear that EU law is intended to stop drivers spending ‘long’ rest breaks in their cabs. Some EU countries have started strongly enforcing this interpretation of the rules and imposing ‘heavy fines’, the FTA said.
In September, DVSA announced its enforcement officers would start issuing fines of up to £300 to lorry drivers who take their full, weekly 45 hour rest breaks in their vehicle. This came into effect on Wednesday (1 November). Currently, the UK will only start enforcing this rule if a driver stops in an unsuitable place, such as a lay-by or roadside.
It is understood that the ban on spending the regular weekly rest in the cabin entered into force in Germany in May 2017.
One RDF exporter told letsrecycle.com the changes were one of the factors affecting the markets for RDF, and explained that the company was having to pay for hotels for drivers who would usually take these breaks in their cabs.
A second RDF exporter agreed the new rules were a concern. “This is likely to affect all goods transiting through Germany, whether RDF or other materials and I would guess this could amount to around 1-2 Euros per tonne in extra costs.”
However, another company told letsrecycle.com its operations team did not think the changes were a significant factor in costs, although he did report that one haulier had increased its prices due to this. The company suggested that this could just be an ‘excuse’ to squeeze up the prices.
Inconsistency
Commenting on the rules around weekly rest, James Firth, FTA head of licencing policy and compliance says there is an ‘inconsistency’ across the EU in the way driver hours are regulated and enforced.
The system in Great Britain relies on a combination of enforcement at the roadside using fines and a wider regulatory framework
James Firth, head of licensing policy
Freight Transport Association
“The system in Great Britain relies on a combination of enforcement at the roadside using fines and a wider regulatory framework through the responsibilities of transport managers and oversight of the traffic commissioners,” Mr Firth explained. “In other EU member states, the system relies much more on punitive roadside enforcement.”
“For the domestic fleet, the combined system of traffic commissioners and roadside enforcement works well. For non-UK trucks operating in the UK this system is not working, because it relies on a comparable regulatory framework in the operator’s home country, which in many cases is weak.”
In terms of the UK rules, FTA said it wants the government to use ‘common sense’ in applying the new £300 fines system, “to accommodate the fact that in parts of the country, facilities for drivers are substandard, or simply not available.” It is also campaigning for the government to prioritise an urgent need for better truck stop facilities across the UK.
RDF conference, 23 November 2017
For an in-depth discussion of RDF and EfW, book your place at the RDF Conference, taking place on 23rd November at the Congress Centre, near Tottenham Court Road station, London. Visit http://www.rdfconference.com for more information.
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Source: letsrecycle.com Waste Managment
