Newslink December 2021

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News Delay, but B+E test axe still going to fall The DVSA has confirmed that the proposed date for formally ending B+E testing has been delayed slightly. As reported in last month’s Newslink, the legislation required to end the tests was due to go before the House of Commons on November 15. However, it was pulled for administrative reasons. New legislation was re-laid in Parliament on November 23 to restart the process for this change. Once these changes have been approved by both Houses of Parliament, the DfT will confirm the date the licensing law will be introduced. Until the law has been changed you and your pupils must continue to follow the current rules. What this means for car drivers towing a trailer DVSA stopped doing car and trailer tests on September 20. Until the law changes, car drivers who gained their licence after January 1 1997 and don’t hold a full car and trailer licence will only be able to tow a trailer weighing up to 3,500kg if they: • display L plates • are supervised by a driver aged over 21 who has had a car and trailer licence entitlement for three years or more Drivers can be fined up to £1,000, be banned from driving and get up to six penalty points on their driving licence if they drive a vehicle that’s not on their driving licence. When the law changes come into force DVLA will update driving licence records to reflect the changes. The BE category will be added when a new photocard driving licence is issued. Drivers do not need to contact DVLA for this to happen. It will be done automatically. Tow safely The DVSA is encouraging those drivers looking to tow a trailer or caravan for the first time to undertake a voluntary accreditation scheme which is being developed with help from the trailer industry and training providers. It is hoped that this scheme will be launched early next year and will focus on a core module for all drivers, with sector specific modules for different towing activities. Find out more about how the scheme in the DVSA’s latest blog post from Mark Winn – Chief Driving Examiner (below) B+E tests: the impact - see pg 22 We’re backing a trailer safety scheme by Mark Winn Chief Driving Examiner Over the last few months, we’ve been preparing for changes to car and trailer testing and we’re planning to launch a voluntary trailer safety accreditation scheme which will encourage drivers to get training to help them tow safely and enjoy their towing activity. We’re working with towing and training groups to look at how to set the scheme up and what it should focus on. In November, alongside colleagues, I led workshops with representatives the towing and trailer industry. I’m pleased to say the conversations were positive and engaging – including on what the accreditation scheme could achieve and how it should be delivered. I wanted to share with you how this proposed scheme was developing. I know the car and trailer test changes have been the subject of much debate recently, which is why we feel it’s really important to engage with towing and training groups on the accreditation scheme. We want motorists to see the accreditation scheme as the right way to find out how to tow a trailer safely, and with confidence. At the workshops we asked for feedback on three areas: • Setting the standard of the training • The government appointed accrediting body or bodies • The accredited training providers For the first topic, on setting the standards of the training, there was a consensus for a modular approach. This would mean providing a basic towing module with additional modules for specific sectors, for example livestock or plant. A number of the groups felt that the driver testing syllabus would be a good starting point for the standard. In other areas, such as the duration of the training, there was a broader range of views. Discussions about the accrediting body or bodies focused on having more than one organisation and including a standard for assessors. Some organisations were also interested in getting more of an understanding about the procurement process DVSA would need to go through to appoint an accrediting body or bodies. On training providers, some of the groups said existing trainers should be able to join and build up their skills, rather than having a new structure for all. They felt that once the scheme had been established, an assessment of new providers could be introduced. There was also a discussion about having a level playing field and whether trainers with good standards/skills could be promoted. Taking this forward What happens next? We will run a follow-up webinar for vocational trainers, on the latest developments and get their thoughts on the accreditation scheme too. We’ll send invitations out for these webinars once they have been arranged. We’re also going to: • Develop the car and trailer towing standard • Develop a working version of the syllabus • Carry on the work needed to appoint an accrediting body or bodies We’ll continue to work with the trailer and training industry to share our progress and get feedback. If you have any comments on this, you can post them on the original blog by clicking here. 08 NEWSLINK n DECEMBER 2021
For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com Two parts to new Driver CPC test The DVSA has announced a reform of the Driver CPC regime, with the Part 3 test split into two. Up to November 28 drivers took a single Driver CPC part 3 test (driving ability) test (unless they’ve already passed the off-road exercises test with their training school) However, from November 29, two separate tests – Driver CPC part 3a (off-road exercises) and part 3b (on-road driving) will be conducted. Prices for the Driver CPC part 3a test: off-road exercises will be up to £40 for tests taken with an approved training organisation (this does not include the cost of any training or vehicle hire), or £40 for tests taken with DVSA The Driver CPC part 3b test (on-road driving) will cost £115 for tests taken on weekdays, or £141 for tests at the weekend or on a bank holiday. The DVSA has been challenged over the fees charged. It replied: “We have to recover the costs of the services we provide through the fees we charge. “The current test fee does not cover all of our costs. So we’re keeping the part 3b test fee the same as the current part 3 test fee. This will help cover the extra costs of approving and auditing trainers who provide part 3a tests. “Because people taking the part 3b test will have already passed the part 3a test, they will be in a better position to pass first time and avoid the potential cost of a retake. “Also, people who now take a test towing a trailer with a large vehicle no longer need to have passed a test in a rigid vehicle first. This saves them £115 by not having to take 2 tests. “However, we will keep the current fees under review.’ Splitting HGV and bus driving tests into two parts to create 500 more tests a week is part of the government’s 32 actions to tackle the current HGV driver shortage. • Find out more about this HERE: Find Your Nearest to include CPC The DVSA has launched an extension of its learner driver Find Your Nearest ADI service, to cover Driver CPC trainers. It allows members of the public to locate their nearest approved Driver CPC part 3a test provider for the off-road exercise part of the vocational driving test. The new GOV.UK service lists all current approved assessors across Great Britain who can carry out the off-road exercises and have agreed to be on the directory. It also includes their premise address and contact details, and any accessibility information relating to their premises. All the public needs to do is provide their postcode to find their nearest provider. As reported on above, all Driver CPC 3 tests have been split into two parts from Monday, November 29 - part 3a tests (off-road exercises), and part 3b tests (on-road). Drivers must have passed a part 3a test before they can take their 3b test. NEWSLINK n DECEMBER 2021 09
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Newslink December 2021

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