In response to the ongoing issue of poor toilet facilities making it difficult to recruit new drivers in to the industry an online petition has been started by ‘Blue Arrow’, recruitment for lorry drivers.
Blue Arrow’s online petition is aimed at the Department for Transport, challenging them to set and enforce new minimum standards for lorry drivers’ toilet facilities across the country.
In their statement along with the petition they state that toilet facilities for lorry drivers at service stations are often in disrepair and sometimes even closed.
Blue arrow are working closely with Gillian Kemp, founder of Truckers Toilets UK, they say they have built a body of evidence that illustrates the extent of the issue. Lack of availability of clean, working toilet facilities is hindering much needed new HGV drivers joining the industry.
Mark Manaton, Blue Arrow CEO, said ‘’lorry drivers are the backbone of the UK’s infrastructure, and yet aren’t currently getting the basic right or access to clean, working toliets. We know first-hand that drivers are suffering. Our petition is the first step in our campaign to do something about it. It’s also vital in terms of the impending driver shortage – how can we attract young people to an industry that can’t even offer them a clean loo?’’
The company are aiming for the 100,000 signatures required to put pressure on the government to start looking at the issue. In addition the petition is also designed to create awareness of the problem as it is rarely discussed or understood outside of the road haulage industry.
3,000 people have already signed the petition, if you would also like to sign the petition you can find it here.