THE PRIME Minister’s proposed civil service recruitment freeze could see the UK’s HGV driver shortage escalate, according to Logistics UK. Also, road safety could be compromised if planned resourcing for heavy vehicle checks is halted.
Logistics UK’s head of road freight regulation policy, James Firth, commented: “The suggested Whitehall-wide recruitment freeze would have a significant impact on the delivery of vital government services such as driver licensing applications, heavy vehicle safety checks and HGV driver testing.
“Logistics businesses have reported continued difficulties in accessing HGV annual safety tests and it is crucial that this freeze does not compromise the safety of road users nor disrupt the supply chain by reducing the availability of drivers,” he said.
