As the EU Directive states, 48hrs is the maximum week for any driver subject to 'EU drivers' hours rules (3820/85)', but... there are some drivers who are not subject to those rules. These drivers are instead subject to 'UK Domestic Drivers' Hours Rules' and therefore will not be subject to the RTD either.

The Domestic Rules allow a driving day of 10 hours, with a 'duty limit' i.e. working day, of 11 hours. I'm sure that no one would complain at these rules being applied to gas and electricity services, or that fact that there are exceptions to the domestic rules for emergency services etc. which is sensible enough. No one wants to be in the position where a water board vehicle or a fire engine cannot be called out because the driver has exceeded his permissible driving hours for the day.

As one of TNN's readers pointed out though, this is not the issue. What worried him was the fact that the domestic drivers hours rules cover The Post Office.

Guidance from the Department for Transport (DfT) clearly states that "Tachographs must be fitted and used on all vehicles with a permissible maximum weight in excess of 3.5 tonnes which carry parcels and letters on postal services. Drivers of such vehicles are exempt from the EC drivers' hours rules but must comply with the UK domestic rules."

Not only does this situation mean that they can keep their costs down by working drivers longer, but drivers too will be happy with the arrangement, as they can earn more for the longer hours; Hours that other companies cannot offer. Although it is possible for companies other than The Post Office to operate some services under domestic rules, we already have a very large shortfall of drivers in Britain and this could cause a significant problem for driver recruitment and retention.

With postal operators effectively 'rasing the bar' on drivers wages, there is a real possibility that transport companies will have to push their finances to the limit, just to keep up. This is just what the industry did NOT need on top of the RTD.