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Medicals mix up

31st January 1991
Page 7
Page 7, 31st January 1991 — Medicals mix up
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

• Truck drivers under the age of 45 will not now have to take a medical check when they swap their HGV licences for new LGV licences after 1 April. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has changed its interpretation of the regulation, which states that a doctor's form must be submitted with "first" applications and "subsequent renewals" of vocational licences.

Most of the industry, including the Freight Transport Association, had taken that to mean people applying for a truck driving licence for the first time. But the ETA says it was told some weeks ago that the DVLA was considering forcing all first applicants to take a medical including those changing from their current HGV or PSV licences.

Only last week the association was informed that the DVLA had backed down. Nigel Walpole, the ETA's adviser on road transport law, was told that the DVLA had "no wish to put drivers or industry to unnecessary expense" — a medical test costs about £35.

Drivers over 45, however, will have to submit a medical form every five years under the new system, and drivers over 65 annually.

The PTA is annoyed that it was not consulted about the DVLA's original interpretation until this year. "The consultation period began in 1988," says Walpole. "We've gone through all the papers and this was not mentioned."

However, the DVLA says it will not decide finally until the end of this week on which interpretation it will follow. It says it is still considering what compulsory medical tests for all drivers would involve.


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