Are they up to it?
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EUROPEAN LORRY and bus drivers who want to live and work in this country when European Community driving licences are introduced will have to show that they meet British standards.
Transport Minister Norman Fowler made this promise when the Commons approved the Government's intention to agree to the European plan.
He explained that in 1983 drivers who moved from one Community state to another would be able to exchange their driving licences to equivalent ones in the new country. From 1986 it was proposed that licences within the EEC should be issued in a common format.
But the exchange of lorry and bus driving licences would be subject to more stringent conditions, continued Mr Fowler.
There would be no automatic exchange where the licence was obtained through a test not the equivalent of our own either in standard or in the type of vehicle for which a British licence was sought.
But when it could be established that drivers had experience of driving larger hgvs than those for which they had passed the test it would be unreasonable to refuse to exchange their licences, said the Minister.
At least six months' safe driving experience within the previous 18 months or 12 months in the previous three years should be asked for. In addition Mr Fowler said he would expect the chairmen of the Traffic Commissioners to interview applicants before they agreed to issue a licence.
If there was any doubt about previous experience, the Licensing Authority in Britain would be able to check with the authority in Europe which issued the previous licence. If there was any discrepancy, the applicant concerned would have no option but to take the normal UK test.
It was certainly not his intention to reduce the minimum age limit of 18 for the granting of hgv and psv provisional licences.