Government Response

The Government responded to this petition on Friday 15th October 2021

Ensuring that professional drivers of large and heavy vehicles keep their skills up to date is key to maintaining road safety and protecting both vocational drivers and other road users.

Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (DCPC) is intended to improve road safety and provide economic and environmental benefits. All professional drivers are required to complete 35 hours of training before the end of the 5-year period, but each course can be completed at the driver’s convenience. This could be one a year or a 35-hour block at the end of the period.

Many professionals are required to undertake continuing professional development to stay up to date with the demands and legal requirements of their chosen profession. It is not unreasonable that professional large vehicle drivers who have a significant responsibility for road safety should be required to undertake some form of regular training. 

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) encourages drivers to spread out their learning and to consider which courses best reflect the work they are doing and the development they require. This flexible approach was agreed with the industry.

The DCPC is associated with individual drivers and not their employers, and it is for employers to decide if they wish to contribute to DCPC renewal. This could include, for example, making time available or selecting courses appropriate to the business and funding the training. We believe that this could play a fundamental role in improving driver retention rates.

Many employers are currently offering training packages to support drivers with a lapsed DCPC update their training through classroom or online courses. HGV licence holders who are currently unemployed or are in receipt of Universal Credit can, at the discretion of local DWP Work Coaches, access the DWP Flexible Support Fund to renew their DCPC.

Department for Transport