Explanatory note

These Regulations revoke and replace the Drivers' Hours (Goods Vehicles) (Exemptions) Regulations 1978 and the Drivers' Hours (Goods Vehicles) (Exemptions) (Amendment) Regulations 1982 (“the 1978 Regulations”).

The principal changes in the exemptions prescribed are that—

(a) the provision in the 1978 Regulations for exemptions in the case of certain special needs (Part II of the Schedule to the 1978 Regulations) is not continued; and

(b) in the case of exemptions in cases of emergency a serious interruption in the use of ports is added to the cases of emergency specified in regulation 2(2), the exemption is restricted to drivers who during any working day drive predominantly goods vehicles and in a view of the omission in such a case of subsections (2), (3)(b) and (4) to (6) of section 96 of the Transport Act 1968 effected by the Drivers' Hours (Goods Vehicles) (Modifications) Order 1986 (S.I. 1986/1459) the conditional exemption is only from the requirements of subsections (1) and (3)(a) of that section.