Brexit Not Likely to Have Any Effect on Driver CPC Requirements

The rumour mill began turning almost immediately upon the announcement by Prime Minister David Cameron that the UK would vote in May (2016) whether to remain in the EU or not. Among the many rumours speculating what an EU-free UK might look like was one that suggests a Brexit will mean the end of the driver CPC requirements that now apply to professional drivers. In short, a Brexit is likely to have absolutely no effect at all.

Driver CPC requirements were born in the EU just after the turn of the century as a way to ensure that all commercial drivers maintain a sufficient level of competence that would make them safe and proficient. Over several years, policy makers wrote, reviewed, adjusted and finalised the rules to be applied to all EU member nations. They were finally implemented in the UK in 2008.

It is no secret that the haulage and transport industries are not all that happy with the driver CPC requirements. Drivers themselves are not thrilled either. Both see the regulations as yet another layer of bureaucracy that makes it harder to get things done. Others do not see it that way. Both the government and critics of the logistics sector insist that driver CPC regulations are a vital component in improving road safety.

We Go the Extra Mile

Regardless of who supports driver CPC and who does not, a positive vote to leave the EU is not likely to have any impact. Why? It all boils down to one simple fact: the UK has historically gone the extra mile to implement EU directives as fully and as strictly as possible. In many cases, we go above and beyond what the directives dictate. It is hard to believe that our government would roll back any EU legislation even if the citizenry were to vote for an exit.

The driver CPC legislation is one of those directives that would be hard to set aside. Some believe it is conceivable the government would adjust the current legislation to better fit an independent economy, but large-scale changes are unlikely. Even if drastically altering or eliminating the driver CPC requirements would make life better, the government does not want to be seen as willing to jeopardise road safety in order to satisfy one sector of the economy.

The reality is that driver CPC is here to stay forever. The government spent many years and a lot of money preparing the logistics sector for implementation of the directive; they are not willing to go back on it now. It is in the best interests of the industry to find ways to make the best of driver CPC legislation rather than hoping it will somehow be done away with.

The HGV Training Centre is an approved provider of driver CPC training. We can create customised training programmes for your company, programmes that meet the unique needs of your drivers while also satisfying their CPC requirements.