Over the last few years, Britain's bus, coach and lorry drivers have had to go back to school. The year 2008 saw the implementation of stringent EU regulations which render the simple vocational driver's licence insufficient. In the interest of safety, drivers in the fields of public transport and logistics are now required to undergo additional training and assessment in order to qualify with a Certificate of Professional Competence or CPC.
This legislation affected all of Britain's existing bus, coach and lorry drivers, as well as those coming into the profession so that today, every working holder of a vocational driver's license is also in possession of a Driver CPC.
In order to deal with these new requirements, institutions offering driver CPC training courses have sprung up country wide. The CPC is a demanding qualification, involving 35 hours of periodic training on the roads and an examination. Training courses are structured to ensure candidates expand and confirm their skills, and that they pass all required tests.
In addition to the initial training and assessment, holders of a Driver CPC are also required to complete maintenance courses every five years. This is to ensure that all professional road users are in possession of an up-to-date knowledge and skills base, and that they remain 'on top of current laws and regulations'.
The Driver CPC has been introduced in order to reduce casualties on the road and to ensure that professional drivers of goods and transport vehicles operate in a way that is safe, courteous and as environmentally friendly as possible.
