Successful negotiations in Brussels: Bus industry welcomes specific driving and rest times for occasional bus trips
Vienna (OTS) – The European Parliament, Council and the EU Commission have reached a preliminary agreement in trilogue negotiations on the revision of the rules for driving and rest times in occasional transport. This opens the way for new regulations that meet the needs of both travelers and drivers.
Martin Horvath, chairman of the bus professional group in the Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKÖ), draws a positive conclusion about the successful outcome of the consultations: “After many years of persuasion, we have a first one in cooperation with the European bus associations and our international umbrella organization IRU (International Road Transport Union). Success achieved for the bus tourism industry. The EU has finally recognized the special working conditions for occasional bus drivers. Travelers also benefit from the fact that the rigid corset of previous driving and rest times, with no distinction between freight transport and bus travel, has been broken.”
Horvath emphasizes that the proposal is the first to address the different work rhythms in the coach industry, which depend heavily on seasonal fluctuations and variable routes. This increases road safety, increases the attractiveness of bus travel and helps to achieve the transport sector’s emission reduction targets.
The key points of the agreement include the possibility for occasional bus drivers to split their mandatory 45-minute break into two breaks of at least 15 minutes each. In addition, drivers taking part in a 6-day trip are allowed to postpone the start of the daily rest period by one hour. The 12-day rule, which previously only applied to cross-border bus trips, may in future also be applied to trips that only take place within the country. “The result of distributing breaks and rest periods more flexibly and treating cross-border and domestic bus tourism equally gives drivers more opportunities to fulfill customer requests,” Horvath points out the potential of the coach as an efficient and environmentally friendly means of transport.
A compromise text for the revised regulation will be worked on in the coming weeks. However, the final confirmation of the compromise in the EU Parliament will only be a formality. “Coach companies and their passengers can already look forward to these important and necessary improvements,” concludes Horvath. (PWK045/DFS)
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