Professional drivers must undertake periodic training every five years.
The Driver Certificate of Professional Competence is a qualification required of professional drivers of buses, coaches and lorries in the European Union countries. The requirement became effective in 2008 for bus and coach drivers and in 2009 for lorry drivers.
Training Purpose
The purpose of the training program is to ensure safe roads and to reduce the number of road accidents. The training programs are designed to develop and improve drivers' knowledge and skills, and keep drivers up-to-date with new regulations. Drivers must take 35 hours of theoretical and practical training every five years to be allowed to keep their CPC.
Courses
The periodic training is a career-long requirement, no matter how often drivers may drive for a living. Each training course should take at least seven hours at a time, excluding breaks. The courses are provided by training centers approved by the Joint Approvals Unit for Periodic Training on behalf of the Driving Standards Agency.
Subjects
Driver training courses include optimizing fuel consumption, safe driving and loading techniques, the vehicle mechanical characteristics, first aid, passenger health and safety, and passenger and goods transportation regulation.
Tags: Certificate Professional, Certificate Professional Competence, every five, every five years, five years