CM campaign wins support
Page 11
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by Patric Cunnane • Truck dri vers have given the thumbs-up to CM's campaign calling for the compulsory registration of LGV driving schools by the Driving Standards Agency.
At a busy truckstop in the south of England, drivers were asked whether LGV instructors should have to undergo training before teaching others. All agreed that they should, while many called for tougher LGV tests, including extra skills such as pulling laden trailers and different types of loads.
Driver Nick Rose, hauling for CS Ellis of South Rutland, says: "It's wrong that people go through their tests on an unladen trailer and immediately take out 24 tonnes."
Ian Davies, driving for Devon-based haulier Thompsons, was surprised to learn that instructors are not obliged to undergo any training: "You should have five to 10 years' driving experience before teaching other people."
At present anyone with an LGV licence can open a driving school. Motoring instructors have to take comprehensive written and practical tests before winning DSA approval.
Support for CM's campaign has flooded in
from training schools, hauliers and politicians. David Porter MP and president of the Institute of HGV Driving Schools told CM: "I am very happy to support the LGV training campaign. I have raised this myself with Parliamentary Questions a number of times."
The campaign has also received the support of the Government-backed Road Haulage and Distribution Training Council, which sets training standards for the whole industry.
See page 38 this week for feature on drivers' survey and campaign update.
0 Road Transport Industry Training board Services Ltd (RSL) has changed its name to Centrex, an abbreviation for Centres of Training Excellence. The name also replaces RTITB, which Centrex chief executive Bob McCartney says is still associated with the days when hauliers were obliged to pay a training levy to RTITB, which many saw as a tax. Also disappearing is MOTEC (Multi-Occupation Training and Education Centre) Centrex Telford training centre will be known in future as "training and conference centre".