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Not too late to meet HGV Driver CPC Northern Ireland deadline

The passing today of the Driver CPC deadline for bus and coach drivers in Northern Ireland means there is exactly one year to go until the deadline for HGV drivers of 10 September 2014, and the Freight Transport Association (FTA) has reiterated its warning that there will be no last minute reprieve, VOSA will enforce it and the Traffic Commissioners will take action against drivers and operators who do not take it seriously.

However, the FTA say that it is not too late for anyone in Northern Ireland who hasn’t completed their Driver CPC training yet, even if they haven’t started it.

June Powell, FTA’s Director of Compliance Management, said: “The clear message from FTA to anyone who hasn’t completed their Driver CPC training yet – even if they haven’t started it – is that it’s not too late.  We are ready and able to support and work with operators to ensure that they beat the Driver CPC deadline, whether that be by course delivery or by providing the necessary material so that companies can do it themselves.  Our message to anyone needing advice on Driver CPC is that we can help you to be ready in time.”

There are many training options available to operators, with FTA being recognised within the industry as a leading provider of DCPC training.  The association offers a full list of Driver CPC training courses, and still has availability for those who need to complete a lot of training in a short amount of time – but companies need to act quickly.

Information on FTA Driver CPC training courses is available on the FTA website at http://www.fta.co.uk/services/training, by emailing training@fta.co.uk or calling 08717 11 22 22.

European Directive 2003/59/EC requires the initial and continuous training of vocational drivers and is referred to as a Driver CPC.  The qualification applies to new drivers acquiring a Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) licence from 10 September 2008 and for drivers acquiring a Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) licence from 10 September 2009.  Those already holding a vocational licence on these dates were given acquired rights in relation to the initial qualification, however all drivers must complete 35 hours of periodic training every five years.