A distinct lack of toilets on the UK’s transport system is being blamed for a rise in the number of lorry drivers quitting the profession.
A survey of 4,000 truck drivers carried out by the workers’ union Unite found nine out of 10 drivers rarely or never have access to efficient toilet facilities during working hours.
This shocking statistic has been slammed by union officials who are demanding this situation is rectified as a matter of urgency.
Diana Holland, Assistant general secretary of Unite, said the lack of access to toilets was “intolerable”.
She said: “Transport workers the length and breadth of the UK are being denied toilet dignity on a daily basis. The lack of access to toilets is simply intolerable and can and does result in members developing severe health problems and in some cases being forced to quit their jobs due to medical conditions.”
Lorry drivers who use the main transport network of motorways and A-roads have an adequate choice of service stations and truck stops to choose from. But when they are forced off the major routes and on to country roads, they could travel for miles without a suitable toilet stop. That can put a great weight on drivers with delicate issues.
Of course, used crane trucks, second-hand scaffold trucks and removal vans are large vehicles that can’t just park up anywhere. They require a sufficient space to rest safely, and that is obviously a problem in most towns and cities.
The Government definitely needs to do more to protect the welfare and health of the nation’s lorry drivers otherwise we could see more and more drivers being forced to leave the industry.
