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EU drops demand for driven to have 420 hours' training
Page 6
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by Chris Tindall Industry bodies have welcomed news that the European Council's final draft proposal on the Driver Training Directive, due to come into force In 2005, has removed the requirement for drivers to have up to 420 hours of classroom training after passing their tests.
Although the Directive has yet to be approved by the European Parliament. trade organisations hope It will be accepted, even If it has to go to conciliation first.
This is seen as a major boost by the Freight Transport Association. it has been lobbying for months to amend the Directive, which is aimed at novice drivers.
If the amended version is agreed, drivers will still be required to obtain a "certificate of competence", but they will be allowed to drive for up to three years before taking it and will have the opportunity to study for the exam wherever they like.
The FTA's Gavin Scott says the amended Directive will give drivers more flexibility—he believes the draft is as good as the association could have hoped for.
"It is an awful lot more acceptable then the original, horrendous proposals that first came out," he adds. "Then you were going to pass your CE, spending a fortune in the process, and then say, 'Well that's all very well, but before you earn anything you have to pass another test and spend three months in the classroom."
The Directive still includes the 35-hour refresher training course for all drivers every five years. but Scott reckons most responsible operators would satisfy that requirement now.
The Road Haulage Association Is also happy that the council has agreed to amend the proposal, and believes common sense has prevailed. Chief executive Roger King says: "We generally viewed the imposition of a set time as absurd. It was just ridiculous."
However, King warns that MEPs must still be lobbied to prevent the prescriptive parts of the legislation being reintroduced at a later date.
Ian Hetherington, chief executive for the Road Haulage and Distribution Training Council (RHDTC), expects a "fair amount of agreement" when It goes before the European Parliament, probably during the first six months of next year. "We have been working hard with the DoT and Driving Standards Agency," he says. "We
can regard it as a small victory."
Welsh haulage firm Rhys Davies already assesses its drivers on a regular basis. Training and development manager Edward Jenkins echoes King's view that the requirement was absurd, but warns that the industry needs to tread carefully: "The problem with our industry is that to be seen to throw it out would be seen as neolithic."