Motorways ban hits ruck learners
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• Hundreds of HGV driving schools have been breaking the law for the past year by taking trainees on motorways.
It emerged this week that one of the changes to the 1988 Road Traffic Act, which took effect last April, makes it illegal for learner LGV drivers to drive on motorways — something hol ders of provisional HGV licences were always permitted to do.
But few, including the police, Department of Transport, Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency, and driving schools, were aware of the anomaly.
The Driving Standards Agency, which sets standards for driving tests, says that all learner LGV drivers should have motorway experience.
Some driving schools have been told by local examining centres within the past week that it is now against the law to take learners on the motorway.
But other training companies that Commercial Motor has spoken to were unaware of the change — almost a year after the legislation took effect.
Dave Liddle, of London-based RTA says his firm regularly takes learners on the motorway: "I wouldn't consider anything wrong with it," he says.
And Nick Smith, owner of Roadtrain in West Thurrock, says: "No one told me. It's disgraceful. Why are training establishments never faxed copies of these decisions when they are made? We're treated like mushrooms — kept in the dark."
Other schools, however, had heard rumours. Commercial Transport Training of Leighton Buzzard and Al of Bedfordshire have both stopped taking learners on the motorway until the law is clarified.
The mix-up is a result of ammendments to the 1988 Road Traffic Act, which changed the HGV to the LGV licence and transferred responsiblity for issuing truck driving licences from traffic areas to the DVLA.
Authorisation of LGV licences now comes under part three of the act instead of part four. That means they fall foul of another piece of legislation — section 11 of the 1982 Motorways Traffic regulations — which prohibits all holders of licences issued under part three of the act from using motorways, Don Webster, who monitors legislation for Scotland Yard, says he spotted the rule two weeks ago. He admits that few traffic police officers are aware of it.
Motorway signs still say that HGV drivers are exempt from the ban on learners. CMcontacted Kent police, who said they had not been told that learner LGV drivers were now prohibited from motorways.
The Dip says it has just been made aware of the anomaly, and is looking into what it admits was an "unintended effect".