No Initial CPC? You could be driving illegally
As you probably know, if you passed your HGV/PCV test before the introduction of the driver CPC training then you have grandfather or acquired rights. If not then you need to have completed your initial CPC before you can drive and this was the situation with one guy who booked onto one of our Driver CPC courses.
You’ll have ‘acquired rights’ if:
You are a lorry driver and got your vocational licence (C, C1, C+E and C1+E) before 10 September 2009
or
If you are a bus or coach driver and got your vocational licence (D, D1, D+E and D1+E) before 10 September 2008
If you have these acquired rights then you need to complete 35 hours of DSA-certified driver CPC training by:
September 2013 for PCV license holders
or
September 2014 for HGV license holders
This is where the confusion started. One of the guys who came to attend a Driver CPC course had actually passed his HGV test in January of 2010 and therefore didn’t have grandfather rights.
People in this situation, need to have completed their initial Driver CPC qualification before they are allowed to drive for a living.
The Initial Driver CPC is merged with the driving test and comes in four parts
Part 1 – theory test
(2 separate tests – multiple-choice and hazard perception)
Part 2 – Driver CPC case studies test
Part 3 – driving ability test (The Driving Test)
Part 4 – Driver CPC practical demonstration test
In this particular case, the candidate had not completed part 4. This meant until he did complete the last part he was unable to attend the course, as the DSA would simply reject his name if I attempted to upload it, and he was also committing an offence by driving an HGV in his current job.
At first, he didn’t take me seriously when advised of such but was shocked when discovering I was indeed speaking facts.
This is not the only case where someone has booked a course to find out they are driving illegally and we have had quite a few people phone up to find out where they stand with regard to acquired rights. So I wondered, how many other people are in the same position and don’t even realise it.
Please help us to make people aware of this before they find out the hard way by getting fined and losing their job. Share this with your friends on Facebook or other social networks by clicking the buttons at the bottom of this page or simply copy the link and share it by email or on the driving forums.
