More flexible arrangements for occasional road passenger transport
At the end of May, an EU regulation introducing changes to the rules regarding (minimum) breaks and rest periods in occasional road passenger transport entered into force. The regulation primarily aims to consider the sector’s specific working rhythms, ease the rules for drivers in this transport, and thus ensure better services for passengers. The regulation is directly applicable in all member states.
Occasional passenger transport means transport that is not regular passenger transport and is usually organised on the initiative of the customer or the transport operator. Examples are recreational, school, or other similar trips. Employers of coach drivers will now be able to split the mandatory breaks or postpone their rest periods.
Under the general legal regulations, drivers must take a break of at least 45 minutes for every 4.5 hours of driving. Occasional drivers will now be able to split this break into two separate periods of at least 15 minutes. At the same time, however, the current requirement that the total break time must be at least 45 minutes shall be maintained.
If drivers are engaged in occasional transport lasting six or more days, they may take their daily rest up to one hour later, provided that the total driving time for that day has not exceeded seven hours. This is subject to the condition that road safety is not jeopardised. It will therefore not be possible to postpone rest every day.
This derogation can only be used on a one-off basis and twice in a single passenger service trip lasting eight days or more. Even in these cases, it will still be necessary to observe the start of the weekly rest period.
To allow for the monitoring of the new derogations, the driver will be required to carry on board the vehicle a journey form completed before the start of the journey, as well as paper or electronic copies of journey forms covering the previous 28 days. The period to be monitored will be extended to 56 days from 31 December 2024. The carrier is not obliged to carry copies if the vehicle uses a tachograph allowing the recording of this type of transport. This is the European Commission's fallback solution until the impending changes to the digital tachograph function are implemented.
Coach drivers will also now be able to drive longer domestic tours of up to 12 days, previously only possible during international trips.
The Commission expects these changes to improve the carriers’ ability to organise efficient and high-quality occasional passenger transport, simplify working conditions, and provide greater flexibility for drivers. In practice, adjusting to the new conditions will take some time, and only time will tell what the outcome will be.