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Q My workmates often argue about various aspects of transport. We

29th October 1971
Page 93
Page 93, 29th October 1971 — Q My workmates often argue about various aspects of transport. We
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

have failed to resolve several questions and would be grateful for the answers,

1. Is it possible to take out an hgv driving licence by submitting a certificate of driving experience, medical certificate, etc, when the ordinary three-year licence still has a year to run, or is it necessary to wait for the old licence to run out and take out the hgv licence at that time?

2. Is any transport organization attempting to get the law modified so that psv drivers may claim exemption from tests for any classes of hgv licences?

3. Does an eight-wheeled manual transmission mobile crane come into the classification of a Class 2 hgv driving licence?

A You cannot take out an hgv driving ^ licence when your ordinary licence still has a year to run. You must not submit an application more than six months before the date on which your ordinary licence expires and not more than two months from the date on which the hgv driving licence is required to run. In other words you will need an hgv licence to commence on the same day that your new ordinary licence begins — therefore you should apply for your hgv driving licence within two months of that date.

Of course, a driver who has not qualified for the automatic grant for an hgv licence because he did not have the necessary experience during the 12-month qualifying period, can take the hgv test and apply for an hgv licence immediately upon passing the test.

Your medical examination also must be carried out not more than three months before the date from which your hgv licence is to run. If you have not qualified for an hgv licence by experience and have to take the hgv driving test, this test may be taken at any time before the date when you want the licence. It is advisable to take the test as soon as possible so that in the event of failure a second test can be taken, otherwise you will be left with no hgv driving licence when your ordinary licence expires and will not therefore be allowed to drive heavy goods vehicles until you have passed the test.

There is no way in which a psv driver can claim exemption from the hgv driving test, unless he has had hgv driving experience, and so far as we are aware no organization is attempting to get this particular part of the regulations changed. The DoE view is that the requirements for driving public service vehicles and heavy goods vehicles are so different that separate licences are essential.

Drivers of certain mobile cranes, if these cranes are classified as engineering plant, are exempt from the need to hold an hgv driving licence. This is a point which has raised some problems, particularly on the interpretation of "engineering plant" (Q&A CM March 5, 1971). However, if the crane you refer to is not classified as engineering plant

then a Class 2 hgv driving licence is required to drive it.

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