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We explain the EU proposals for driver lice 'sing.
• European Policy
The directive has come out of the European Commission's desire to harmonise the driving licence regulations across the union. European operators have traditionally used large drawbar outfits, and one of the aims of the directive was to give drivers of such vehicles similar status to their artic driving colleagues. One trainer said the only reason the changes were being made was because there is not enough room on the new credit card-style licences.
• The Problem
The problem stems from the fact that the Department of Transport awarded all holders of rigid licences (as long as they had held them before 1 April 1991) the right to pull drawbars, whether they did so or not (this is called a restricted C+E licence). The directive that is about to come into force will give these drivers, from 1 January 1997, the right to drive an artic—whether they have been pulling trailers or not. It effectively means that a tipper driver, who has never driven anything larger than a six-wheeler, will suddenly find himself licensed to drive a 15m-long truck.
• Training
The reaction of the training industry was predictably swift. Edward Handley of Reading training school Big Wheelers, says the proposal makes a mockery of 25 years of LGV training.
"While it may be acceptable to allow experienced drawbar drivers to drive artics, it must be recognised that artics do not handle in the same way and there is a danger to public safety due to trailer cut. To allow inexperienced rigid drivers with no trailer experience to drive artics without any further training or a test defies all logic," he says.
Jim Thomson of Portsmouth-based Creative Training is less reticent. "If this proposal goes through the DOT might as well contact Walkers and start giving LGV licences out with packets of crisps."
What is this going to do for road safety, they both ask?
• Examiners
Until CM reported the changes, official bodies were denying it was to happen. WV examiners are also understood to be upset by the proposal. While they are understandably annoyed at not having been consulted—they all knew nothing about it until reading it in CM—they are more concerned by the implications and, it is rumoured, have inundated the head examiner with letters of protest.
• Consultation
When CM approached roads minister Steven Norris, outside a Standing Committee that had been discussing the EC driving licence directive, he seemed unaware of the changes. When we put it to him that older tipper drivers would soon be entitled to drive artics, he said there were always going to be winners and losers to any changes. The drivers gaining entitlement, by the nature of the fact that they have been driving since 1991, will be experienced," he said. He went on to announce that the DOT is to consult the industry. Trainers Jim Thomson and Edward Handley have both said they will be writing to the DOT to point out the shortcomings of such a policy. Handley, who is a member of the Association of Industrial Road Safety Officers, says the organisation will write to the minister urging a rethink.
• Opposition
Gwyneth Dunwoody MR transport select committee member and patron of road safety campaign group Brake, has taken up the issue. "It is outrageous that the minister was unaware of the implications of the changes," she says. ThO transport select committee is about to report on truck enforcement and Dunwoody I4opcs some reference opposing the licence 4hanges will be included. "We will be publishing a report designee make the roads safer and at the sa the DOT is making these change: does this say about this Gover: attitude to road safety?" she says.
E by Miles Brignall • No one iv the industry argues that experienced drivers of rigids pulling large with a wheel at each corner via an A-frame have the same skills as those artics. If the DOT wants to conform to the directive, one way in which it could E would be to give drivers, who can prove they have been driving such vehicl entitlement, say trainers. Drivers who can produce tachograph or docun evidence (a report from transport manager or customer) that they have exper driving vehicles of minimum dimensions could be given these licences. This wou the DOT to say it was adhering to the spirit of the directive without allowing who holds a rigid licence to gain artic entitlement.
The consultation process is to be launched over the next two months and anyoi ing to air their views on the subject should write to John Gensler, at the Deparl Transport, Great Minster House, 76 Marsham St, London SWIP 4DR.