ROAD SAFETY IN BUS AND COACH TRANSOPORT COMPROMISED

The ETF, European Transport Federation & FEVR, launched a joint statement to express their concerns vis-à-vis the impact of potential changes in driving and rest time limits for bus and coach drivers throughout Europe. The European Commission intends to reduce their weekly rest and increase their weekly driving time. These measures would be included in the upcoming Road Initiative, a package of legal proposals targeting the EU road passenger and freight transport.

Joint Statement

"Any changes to EU Regulation 561/2006, in driving and rest time limits, will bring bus and coach drivers to the brink of exhaustion. In international coach transport, due to a derogation to the EU rules, drivers spend already 324 days per year behind the wheel, leaving them with almost no time to rest and be with their families. Adding more driving and working time to this will simply increase the risk for accidents involving buses and coaches!” says Alain Sutour ,Chair of the Passenger Working Group of the ETF Road transport section.
” If the Commission really introduces these measures as planned, it will by sure have a negative effect on Road Danger Reduction, the safety of all road users . And reaching the target of halving fatalities by 50% till 2020 will unfortunately still get fare away”  Jeannot Mersch FEVR president