So says the Freight Transport Association in response to the Driving Standards Agency's consultation on the Driver Training Directive.
Commenting after the submission, James Firth, FTA’s head of road freight and enforcement policy, said: ‘Driver CPC was brought in to raise standards across the industry, but many responsible vehicle operators were already developing their drivers' knowledge and skills before the European Directive came along. When it came into force these operators had to make their existing high quality training conform to the administrative requirements of Brussels.
‘The UK Government was right to implement a flexible interpretation of the requirements when Driver CPC started back in 2008, but it means that any changes to the Directive which the Commission may be planning will have a direct impact on training courses on the ground.’
The association also warned against allowing Brussels to dictate exactly what a driver should be trained in, emphasising that, like in most other industries and professions, training requirements should be identified by the industry and not by politicians.
Firth continued: ‘The problem with one-size-fits-all is it usually becomes one-size-fits nobody very well. If the specific training content is defined by politicians – either in Brussels or Westminster – we run the risk of every driver investing time and money on redundant training. For instance a driver in the retail sector should not be forcibly required to be trained in loading and securing aggregates. There is certainly a challenge still in engaging drivers fully with DCPC, but insisting upon irrelevant training is a sure-fire way to alienate them further.’
The association's submission, ahead of its further response directly to the Commission at the end of the month, also emphasised that there are changes DSA can make now without waiting for the Commission. FTA submitted a list of items under domestic control that included improved availability of course content for employers and potential employers, closer tie-ins with driver licensing and improvements in targeting of audits.
