I gave up driving Heritage buses when my CPC expired. DoT assessors?? What a farce! Just a money spinner for someone. When I did my one and only CPC training course it was just some guy standing at the front of a class reading from a book. He had obviously never driven a truck or a bus in his life, and as for his life and experience, I could well have driven his mother to and from school on my bus in my younger days, as I doubt whether he was even conceived until at least 20 years after I took my first PSV test. I had already retired from full time work when I did that CPC course anyway, so when it expired I didn't bother again as I regarded it as a total waste of money.
I agree whole heartily Colin.
As an owner operator, I held/hold a 'real RSA CPC' and so being told after many years on the road that I need to listen to a snotty nosed kid telling me how to do the job or lose the licence was an insult. I decided to take the wee wee.
As I was multi licenced, the CPC covered both. and as you know, a driver only had to attend the required 35 hours in 7 hour blocks over the 5 year period. I attended two PCV passenger care modules at the beginning, and three LGV load and tachograph in the week of my deadline. There were no exams, no pass or fail, on the practical drive you could drive like a loony...nothing they could do about it, this has since changed.
Repetition of a module is no longer allowed, there are now written and practical tests that must be passed.
Also strict rules and exams are now in place to obtain a licence to become a trainer and provide the courses.
In the last few years of my active life, I was a DoT approved motorcycle instructor and as such had regular assessments from driving test examiners.
The assessors I would suggest for a senior driver check-up could easily be recruited from the driving school stables, the assessment paid for by the state.
------------- Knowledge is recognising that a tomato is a fruit: experience is not putting it in a fruit salad.
With you there Starcraft.
I was lucky with my CPC in that one of the people I was doing some driving for found out that if I did an NVQ at the same time (just meant taking a few more notes) I could have the course paid for by the government except for the cost of the card, which I think cost about £42 which I had to pay. As I wasn't actually working for any one company that was good as I would otherwise have had to pay the whole cost myself, as indeed I would if I took it again.
Strange how no such requirement is made for the railways as I still drive diesel trains on a Heritage Railway although I can now no longer drive their buses that are run in conjunction. To drive the trains I just need an annual medical, and have to have a check-ride every two years along with a bi-annual rules test. I'll keep going until they tell me I have to stop.
It seems I am not alone in my thinking.
On last night's BBC news (East) A coroner says he will raise concerns about the safety of older drivers with the government following the death of a five-month-old baby who was in a pram on the pavement. Louis Thorold was struck by a van on the pavement next to A10 near Cambridge, on 22 January 2021. The 75-year-old driver involved was cleared of causing death by careless driving by reason of insanity
The driver aged 75 at the time of the court case - turned into the path of an oncoming van, forcing it on to the pavement where it hit Louis and his mother, Rachael.
The woman driver had applied online and declared she was medically fit to drive.
Det Sgt Mark Dollard from Cambridgeshire Police said it was important drivers were "honest" with themselves when it came to assessments of their driving.
Driving was a "privilege and not a right", he said.
------------- Knowledge is recognising that a tomato is a fruit: experience is not putting it in a fruit salad.
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: I wish it was a spam..
