Consultation Launched on Charges to Driver CPC

Driver CPC, or Certificate of Professional Competence, training was introduced in 2007 in the EU for professional drivers of lorries, buses and coaches. Professional drivers are required to complete a minimum amount of initial training and regular refresher training. This includes 35 hours of periodic training every 5 years to keep their Driver CPC.

With the UK’s withdrawal from the UK and following a previous review in response to acute driver shortages in 2021, the Department for Transport are now seeking views on how Driver CPC will be maintained going forward.

Proposals being considered include:

• reducing minimum course lengths to enhance flexibility of delivering periodic training,
• a new periodic test to delivered by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), as an alternative to periodic training
• an accelerated route for former drivers to return to the sector more easily.

If implemented the changes would establish a national Driver CPC regime for drivers in Great Britain (with a possibility that this will be extended to include Northern Ireland). The current international regime will remain for travel to and from the EU.

You can find out more about the proposed changes and respond to the consultation on the Gov.UK website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/driver-certificate-of-professional-competence-dcpc-changes

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