EU proposes end to repetition of DCPC content

Proposed reforms to the Driver CPC regulations from the European Union have met with a less than positive response from some in the industry.

Concerns are being raised over the suggested prohibition of training content being repeated in a single five-year training cycle.

Many in the industry feel that drivers benefit from repeating courses on complex subjects such as drivers’ hours, and that changes in legislation may actually necessitate the same subject being repeated within five years: albeit with different content to reflect the legislative changes.

An example of this is the introduction of new tachographs in 2019: should a driver who has already undertaken Driver CPC training on tachographs really have to wait for up to five years before he can have training on the new type that counts towards his Driver CPC total of 35 hours?

Another issue is that Driver CPC courses which also provide other qualifications may need to be repeated inside a five-year cycle if that qualification is to be preserved. For example, first aid certificates last three years, as does the MPQC quarry card.

“Driver CPC is one piece of European legislation that our members are keen to preserve because it validates the role of the driver and gives individuals a sense of professional worth,” said Chris Yarsley, FTA’s EU affairs manager.

But he added that: “an unintended consequence [of the proposed change] could be that a driver would undertake training that was less relevant to his or her role just to fulfil the statutory requirement. This would particularly apply to operators who carry dangerous goods or are involved in security work, where very specific training is required on a regular basis.”

FTA added that it was “vital that Driver CPC training remains flexible, so that operators can adapt to their own driver needs”. It also advocated exploring increased flexibility for delivery of training: “as a seven-hour block of learning may not be the best method for each individual.”

Further changes being proposed to the Driver CPC by the EC include that the qualification should place “specific emphasis on road safety and the rationalisation of fuel consumption”, with a stipulation that “at least one subject on road safety” is included within the periodic training.

EU commissioner for transport Violeta Bulc commented: “A fresh push is needed if Europe’s strategic objective of halving the number of road deaths by 2020 is to be reached.

“Better education and training have a positive impact on road safety, which is why we are today proposing to improve the training of professional drivers.”