Today, 10th September, is the deadline for drivers to complete the first round of Driver CPC training. Drivers with “acquired rights” who have not completed their training now face fines of up to £1,000.
And offences will also be referred to the traffic commissioner which could result in the suspension of the driver’s and/or the operator’s licence.
The Road Haulage Association welcomed the robust approach of enforcement authorities towards those who have failed to meet the requirement of the Driver CPC Directive.
“Basically, those involved in professional road haulage have got this issue sorted out in good time. If there are firms that have still not done so, we have to question whether they are suitable to be operating large, heavy vehicles,” the association said.
Drivers who gained their vocational licence before September 2009 are deemed to have “acquired rights”. But they need to have completed 35 hours of approved training by 10th September.
The vast majority of drivers are expected to have completed the required training, according to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.
The RHA pointed out that “those who are not qualified can become qualified in one week, so that they can get back to delivering goods legally. That should not be an insurmountable burden. Drivers and their employers have had plenty of time to get the necessary training completed. Some drivers are having problems as a result of licence renewal delays at DVLA but enforcement bodies are taking account of that.
“The DVSA and the traffic commissioners are fully justified and have the RHA’s support in enforcing the law from the start.”
