Driver CPC – do you know the facts?
The deadline for Driver CPC has passed and all the drivers who completed the required 35hrs will have received their DQC cards. If you haven’t and you believe that you have done all the required hours then you must register to check your hours and see where you are at and chase what you believe is missing.
Who needs it and who dosen’t is also an area that causes drivers concern, if it is a grey area and something that you are unsure of then you need to seek advice and be certain that you are following the correct information.
A lot of drivers were of the opinion that this legislation wouldn’t come into force and that at some point before the D Day in Sept 2014 it would have been scrapped and so therefore any training they take would be wasted.
Clearly Driver CPC is here to stay and it will be enforced, how quickly the impact of the enforcement will be felt is dependant on how VOSA handle the roadside checking. Whatever the outcome of this the bottom line is that Drivers need to be actively sourcing and completing their Driver CPC, as this is a continuing legislation that won’t go away.
When considering whether you need to complete your Driver CPC you need to bear the following guidelines in mind, and if you are unsure whether they apply to you then confirm them with the DVSA or JAUPT. Below is a press release from VOSA which talks about the Driver CPC guidelines.
Regulations that came into effect Wednesday 13th November claify the exemptions from the requirement to hold Driver CPC for those who occasionally drive lorries, buses or coaches as part of their work but never carry passengers or goods for hire or reward.
These exemptions apply to around 76,000 people – mainly mechanics, valets and fitters. The driving they do is exempt from Driver CPC as long as all of the following apply:
– No goods or passengers are being carried
– The vehicle isn’t being used for hire or reward
– Driving lorries or buses isn’t the driver’s main job
– The vehicle is being used within a 50 kilometre radius of the driver’s base.
There’s also an exemption for drivers of vehicles driving to or from a pre-arranged appointment at a VOSA test centre or Authorise Testing Facility (ATF).
With these regulations now in forcwe VOSA will not pursue or issue fines or penalties to these drivers for Driver CPC infringements.
To read further clarification on these from VOSA follow this link.