"6 months on and foreign hauliers are STILL operating on UK roads without the same restrictions on hours as UK hauliers. This situation is quite simply unacceptable", said RHA Head of Employment, Ruth Pott.

"The RHA demands an immediate suspension of the UK regulations until all other EU Member States have fully implemented the provisions of the Directive. One of its key objectives was to address competitveness and level the playing field. It now transpires that the Directive is having the opposite effect as many UK operators suffer further unfair competition from overseas operators."

The Commission has started infringement proceedings against all those Member States who had not yet complied.