A public consultation by the DSA relating to proposed changes for Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) has now been concluded.

There was general acceptance of the overall scope of the Directive, in particular with the road safety benefits welcomed by the majority of respondents.  These included trainers, the police and representatives of the industries.  .

The DSA consulted on how drivers should qualify for the Initial CPC (the qualification required for new professional bus and coach drivers with effect from September 2008 and professional lorry drivers 12 months later).  

The Directive offers two routes, reflecting the varying infrastructure and arrangements for training and testing in different Member States:

•    Option 1 - which is based on a highly regulated training regime of a minimum 280 hours duration followed by a validating theory test.  

•    Option 2 - which is based on a detailed assessment of competence - 4 hours theory testing and 2 hours practical testing.  

The DSA proposed that the UK should implement Option 2.

The widely expressed view was that Option 1 would be too costly and inflexible.

The DSA proposed the delivery of the Option 2 assessment regime in a modular format, which would allow for integrating vocational driving licence acquisition with the CPC Initial Qualification.

An ability to acquire simultaneously a vocational driving licence and the CPC through the modular approach was widely acknowledged as being positive and industry-friendly.  A significant theme in responses was for each module to have its own pass event (as is currently the case for the theory and practical tests taken for licence acquisition).

Two points have emerged as important in light of the consultation:

•    the tests to be passed for the vocational driving licence acquisition modules must not be, or be seen as, a soft option undermining the standard required by the CPC.

•    the new tests - particularly the new theory tests - required by the Initial Qualification must not cause a sudden disruption in the supply of new drivers for these economically important sectors.

•    Next Steps

The Government will introduce legislation to transpose the Directive.