Blue Arrow, one of the UK’s largest recruiters of lorry drivers, has warned that poor toilet facilities are making it difficult to recruit new drivers, and could even be compromising road safety.
The company has released an online petition aimed at the Department for Transport, challenging it to set and enforce minimum standards for lorry drivers’ toilet facilities across the UK.
In its statement with the petition it says toilets for lorry drivers at service station are often in a state of disrepair, and sometimes they are not even open.
Working closely with Gillian Kemp, founder of Truckers’ Toilets UK, Blue Arrow says it has built a body of evidence that illustrates the extent of the problem. It also says the lack of availability of clean, working toilet facilities is preventing much-needed new drivers from joining the industry.
Mark Manaton, Blue Arrow’s CEO, said: Lorry drivers are the backbone of the UK’s infrastructure, and yet aren’t currently getting the basic right of access to clean, working toilets. 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 says it is aiming to secure the 100,000 signatures required to put pressure on the government to discuss this problem. In addition, the aim is to raise awareness of this issue, because it’s rarely discussed or understood outside the driving industry.
More than 2,500 people have already signed the petition which can be accessed at tinyurl.com/drivewithpride
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