In connection with whether a community transport or voluntary sector minibus driver needs a CPC, here's a copy of an email forwarded by one of my correspondents which should explain all:
our ref: 1304/00990
24 April 2013
Dear Mr xxxx
Thank you for your emails of 18 and 23 April about exemptions from the Driver Certificate of
Professional Competence (CPC).
You can see the text of EU Directive 2003159 here. We transposed the Directive into The Vehicle
Drivers (Certificates of Professional Competence) Regulations 2007 [S12007 No 605J (as amended).
Where there was flexibility in how the Directive could be implemented, we worked with stakeholders
from the relevant sectors to agree a policy or approach and this was subject to public consultation. In
terms of exemptions, if you compare Article 2 of the Directive with Regulation 3 of the above
legislation, you will note that the exemptions have been transposed virtually unchanged.
Since its implementation, we have repeatedly engaged with the EU Commission in order to clarify the
scope of the Directive and the interpretation of the exemptions containec in Article 2. In those
discussions, the Commission ind-icated that the exemptions cannot be applied as 'class exemptions' -
whether or not somebody is exempt from DriverCf-C depends on their individual circumstances. I
can only suggest that the default position for the Community Transport Association, and bus, coach
and lorry drivers in general, should be that they need to hold Driver CPC, unless they can
demonstrate one of the exemptions applies to them. I would strongly recommend that a driver or
employer who feels that an exemption applies seeks independent legal advice.
With regard the scenario you described in your email of 23 April, I would suggest that if the drivers
are being paid to drive the minibuses, they need to hold Driver CPC. However, I must stress that this
view is based on our interpretation of the Directive; it is, as I have said, for the courts to provide
definitive legal interpretation.
Yours sincerely
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Rosemary Thew
Chief Executive
Chief Executive's Office
rosemary.
thew@dsa.gsi.gov.u