The Department of Labour Relations is launching an awareness campaign from 13 to 22 November to promote compliance with legislation governing professional drivers’ driving and rest hours and improve road safety.
The campaign will target professional drivers, business managers and the wider public, highlighting the importance of adequate rest periods and safe working conditions.
Campaign to promote compliance
According to an announcement by the Ministry of Labour, compliance with the legislation is one of its main priorities, both to ensure appropriate working conditions for drivers and to improve road safety for everyone using the road network.
Information and awareness activities will be carried out through radio broadcasts and social media.
More than 1,300 inspections carried out
Between 2023 and 2025, the Department of Labour Relations, under the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance, conducted more than 1,300 inspections involving professional drivers.
The inspections identified violations relating to driving and rest hours, breaks and other matters. The Department issued the necessary notifications and recommendations for compliance and, where appropriate, referred criminal cases to the competent courts.
The Ministry described these violations as serious, warning that they increase driver fatigue and the likelihood of road accidents, while also undermining drivers’ working conditions.
Driver fatigue linked to accident risks
According to the European study Driver Fatigue in European Road Transport, 31% of participating bus and coach drivers and 26% of truck drivers said they had nearly been involved in an accident due to fatigue during the previous 12 months.
The study also found that 5% of bus and coach drivers and 3% of truck drivers reported having been involved in an accident at least once during the same period because of fatigue.
Authorities working together
The Department of Labour Relations said it has designed and is implementing measures in cooperation with the Police, the Department of Road Transport and the Department of Electrical and Mechanical Services to address these problems effectively.
Source: CNA
