That there is a new qualification that affects both new and current drivers of Buses, Coaches and Lorries, and it is called Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC).
In future just holding a driving license will not be sufficient for anyone wishing to drive any of the above vehicles.
How will this affect me?
Those who hold either a bus or coach driving license would have to have the qualification as this became effective from 1 September 2008 however those with a LGV license must be qualified from 1 September 2009 to continue to drive.
In order to maintain your Driver CPC, all category C and D licence holders (this includes license categories C, C1, C1E and D, D1, DE, D1E) will be required to undertake 35 hours Periodic Training every 5 years. However there are some exemptions to the requirement:
- Vehicles with a maximum authorised speed not exceeding 45km/h (27 mph).
- Vehicles undergoing road tests for technical development, repair or maintenance purposes, or of new or rebuilt vehicles which have not yet been put into service;
- Vehicles used in the course of driving lessons for any person wishing to obtain a driving licence or a CPC, as provided for in Article 6 and Article 8 (1);
- Vehicles used for non-commercial carriage of passengers or goods, for personal use;
- A vehicle carrying material or equipment to be used by the driver in the course of his or her work, provided that driving the vehicle is not the driver’s principal activity.
However these are not a complete list, but just some that would cover most situation for the non-professional driver, the complete list can be found at www.transportoffice.gov.uk/cpc.
What vehicles are covered?
Any lorry of 3.5 tons and upwards and minibuses with 9 seats or more are covered by Driver CPC.
Driver CPC will enable young people to enter these sectors in a safe and professional manner, from 18 years of age, subject to any licence restrictions for category D drivers.
The existing ‘Transport Manager’s CPC’ also known as the ‘Operator’s CPC’ is a separate qualification and anyone holding one, who still drives professionally as part of their job, will also need to hold a Driver CPC.