On the 11th April 2024, the Department for Transport (DfT) open consultation on measures to relieve the driver shortage in the HGV and Bus/Coach sectors. They are seeking views on proposals to:
- remove the 50km restriction if bus and coach drivers aged 18 to 20 are driving a regular service
- allow a person to undertake the theory and off-road manoeuvres tests required to gain their driver certificate of professional competence (DCPC) before being granted a provisional bus, coach or heavy goods vehicle (HGV) driver entitlement
They are aware that training and licensing are, to some extent, different between the passenger (bus and coach) and HGV sectors, but the second proposal could be applied to people doing tests for either type of driving.
Speaking about the announcement from the DfT to allow young people to undertake their theory tests to become an HGV driver before obtaining a provisional licence, Chris Yarsley, Senior Policy Manager for Road Freight Regulation at business group Logistics UK said: “Allowing young people to start their driver theory training before obtaining their provisional licences will kickstart their route into becoming HGV drivers. However, it is worth remembering that driving a vehicle of this size is a technically challenging occupation, which is highly regulated for a reason, and we will be ensuring as part of the consultation that all the necessary training for qualification as a safe and compliant driver is still achieved before taking to the roads.”
The consultation closes at 11:59 on the 5th June 2024. The full proposal can be read here.
