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With its emphasis on road safety and a more skilled
Page 38
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workforce the move to a driver CPC has received a cautious welcome from some members of the operators' panel. As one put it, "in principle it should be commended" while another hopes it will rid the industry of those who "should not be behind the wheel".
However, the panel has many concerns that will need to be addressed by the consultation process, which ends in February. These include the cost of training, with one training provider estimating that it could take five weeks' training and 23.000 for new drivers to reach CPC standard. So who will pay -the driver or the employer?
Early indications are that government help will be limited. The panel fears this factor could deter recruitment and lead some, including owner-drivers who have to pay their own way, to retire early.
Others worry that the continuous training requirement, although only seven hours a year per driver, will lead to downtime with lorries standing idle, putting extra pressure on an industry where margins are already tight.