URTU appeals against Driver CPC training ban

• 19 January 2012
• By Chris Druce

The United Road Transport Union (URTU) is to appeal against last month’s decision by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) to withdraw its right to deliver Driver CPC training.

A spokesman for the union confirmed that it would be attempting to overturn last month’s action, which saw it become the first organisationto have its Driver CPC training approval withdrawn.

Under Driver CPC regulations, URTU had 28 days to lodge an appeal at a tier-one tribunal. The tribunal has powers to withdraw, suspend or continue (as the case may be) an approval as it thinks fit.

No date for the hearing has as yet been confirmed.

An investigation was launched into URTU’s training provision after two formal complaints about a health and safety course run by URTU at the Holiday Inn, Bristol, on 4 September.

The course was attended by 31 drivers paying £20 per head, including lunch. CM understands that the complaints allege that although the course started at 9am, ended at 2.15pm and included two 40-minute breaks, it was logged as seven hours of training.

For a full-day course to count towards the Driver CPC, it must include at least seven hours’ training accredited by approval body the Joint Approvals Unit for Periodic Training.

However Paul James, owner/driver at Bristol-based PA James Transport, attended the training and expressed his surprise at the decision, describing it as “a thoroughly professional course”.