The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) has submitted its response to the DfT’s consultation on vocational driver licensing. In the consultation, the Government proposed two key changes: One will permit new recruits to get on with off-road training and testing while still awaiting their provisional licence from DVLA, helping to ensure more trainees stay the course. The other will permit 18- and 19-year-olds to drive regular services without any distance restriction.
CPT’s Operations Director Keith McNally said: “The consultation covered two key areas of licensing – one more important to coach and the other of particular help to bus operators. Together these changes could help our members recruit the people they need. The General Election will now delay progress in this area but we are confident DfT officials will present the results of the consultation and appropriate advice to new ministers promptly after the election.”
The CPT’s response includes a significant quantity of high-quality evidence in support of the proposals that CPT collected from its large bus and coach sector membership. “CPT is confident that through our regular engagement with members via our Bus & Coach Commissions, and through more detailed policy groups like Road Operations Committee and Recruitment & Training Group, CPT has been able to provide highly informed answers to the many questions raised by DfT in its consultation questionnaire,” Keith added.