Proposed changes to vehicle licenses.

Proposed changes to vehicle licenses.

Author
Discussion

bern

Original Poster:

1,272 posts

227 months

Sunday 15th August 2021
quotequote all
Couldn't see this anywhere else. Government consultation on vehicle licensing. It peaked my interest as I just missed out on the B+E having passed my test in 1997.

Although it has other implications for HGV as well.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/change...

agent006

12,058 posts

271 months

Monday 16th August 2021
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Straight to C+E = good
Tow without B+E = bad. Needs to go the other way IMO, no trailer towing at all without B+E regardless of weights.

Stussy

2,065 posts

71 months

Monday 16th August 2021
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I skimmed through it but may be wrong, but didn’t it say you still have to do C before C+E, but you got provisional for both at the same time?

As for B+E, judging on lots of caravan owners road skills I think would do nothing than increas the number of them that spread all over the road down in Cornwall every summer!

petery27

153 posts

113 months

Monday 16th August 2021
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i'm not sure restricting younger people towing will make a difference to crashes, just because someone has the rights to do it at 70 doesn't make them a better driver with a trailer.
I think making trailers be maintained to a certain standard of a basic MOT would be far more useful to the number of crashes. Most caravans do 1 trip a year and sit on the tyres the rest of the time and maybe never get changed in the lifetime that is far worse than a 20 year old towing a fully up together trailer.

Evil.soup

3,695 posts

212 months

Monday 16th August 2021
quotequote all
petery27 said:
i'm not sure restricting younger people towing will make a difference to crashes, just because someone has the rights to do it at 70 doesn't make them a better driver with a trailer.
I think making trailers be maintained to a certain standard of a basic MOT would be far more useful to the number of crashes. Most caravans do 1 trip a year and sit on the tyres the rest of the time and maybe never get changed in the lifetime that is far worse than a 20 year old towing a fully up together trailer.
I have to agree with this.

As I am old, I have been able to tow all my driving life and have done quite a few times, only once with a caravan though. It did amaze me that I could take out a caravan that had been sitting for over 2 years on a drive way without any safety checks at all. I did my own checking of course in terms of what I could check, but I'm no expert. It seems crazy that it could have been sat there for 20 years and I could have just pumped up the tyres and driven off!!

Smint

1,987 posts

42 months

Monday 16th August 2021
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Before 1997 ( i believe it changed then, but happy to be corrected) you could go straight from car licence to class 1 artic ticket, i was one such.
Back in those days the typical training course was 10 days, so full 9 days training and test on the Friday of week 2.

Nothing wrong with that system, there was time to teach proper vehicle control and to get the feel for the vehicle type, also ample time to spend a whole day if needed on the maneuvering pad, which meant a more competent confident driver after the test was passed.
I hope they make a full two week course mandatory for going straight to class 1, should cost no more than 2 x week long courses as present going first rigid then for artic ticket.

D1on

805 posts

193 months

Wednesday 18th August 2021
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As someone wanting to obtain a hgv license.
Would i be better waiting for these rules to change before i go in for class 2?

agent006

12,058 posts

271 months

Thursday 19th August 2021
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It's only a consultation, any changes will be years away.

Smint

1,987 posts

42 months

Thursday 19th August 2021
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D1on said:
As someone wanting to obtain a hgv license.
Would i be better waiting for these rules to change before i go in for class 2?
I suspect when the changes are made that a longer training period for straight to class 1 will be part of the package (and rightly so), if so i doubt the present route of classes 2 then 1 will work out any more expensiive or time consuming than doing the lot in one, only downside i can see is you have 2 tests to possibly fail instead of 1.

My advice is get it done asap, because new drivers have never had it easier to get a start, and lots of people will be thinking about giving it a go due to the pay increases currently being had.

D1on

805 posts

193 months

Wednesday 25th August 2021
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Ah I get you.
Best to crack on then...

Gerradi

1,644 posts

127 months

Wednesday 25th August 2021
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Smint said:
Before 1997 ( i believe it changed then, but happy to be corrected) you could go straight from car licence to class 1 artic ticket, i was one such.
Back in those days the typical training course was 10 days, so full 9 days training and test on the Friday of week 2.

Nothing wrong with that system, there was time to teach proper vehicle control and to get the feel for the vehicle type, also ample time to spend a whole day if needed on the maneuvering pad, which meant a more competent confident driver after the test was passed.
I hope they make a full two week course mandatory for going straight to class 1, should cost no more than 2 x week long courses as present going first rigid then for artic ticket.
My training was a decade or so before you & it consisted of Monday morning in class room to see if you knew ther frot of the trck to the back, afternoon sit in truck on private ground & make it move forwards etc. Friday morning I took test @9:30Am & passed a fully fledged HGV1Driver. I was so happy I told the Instructor I could hug him he replied "please don't" ....Must admit, for me at the time it was one of the best feelings you can have ...I guess a lottery win supersedes that lol

944 Man

1,814 posts

139 months

Thursday 26th August 2021
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Considering that you could, until recently, drive a 40+ tonne concrete maker on the road without even having an HGV licence, straight to C+E shouldn't bother me, but it does. Possibly because of the straight to 'Class 1' heroes that I see on social media and forums.

Instead of deriding 'Class 2' drivers, these fools would be better shutting up and gaining some experience in a rigid wagon: itll be the hardest work they have ever done.

D1on

805 posts

193 months

Thursday 9th September 2021
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Further to my above post it looks like this could be happening sooner rather than later..

https://news.sky.com/story/ministers-to-streamline...

Should I wait before I start my class 2 training?

Stussy

2,065 posts

71 months

Thursday 9th September 2021
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Depends how quick you need it, and how quick they change the rules.
By the time you wait for it to be changed you could have maybe done it the normal way any way?
Nobody knows!

Triple Six

1,099 posts

129 months

Friday 10th September 2021
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DSVA have published changes in last few mins:

1. BE licence to be scrapped. Everyone who passed B test after 01 Jan 1997 will now be issued with a 'free' BE licence (to be actioned soon)

2. You can now go from B to CE (Class 1 articulated), without the need to pass C (Class 2 rigid) first.

As someone who runs a training school this is quite a big shake up. I feel sorry for friends who's business relies purely on BE training, they have effectively been made redundant at the drop of a hat.

More here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-take...

Pica-Pica

14,468 posts

91 months

Friday 10th September 2021
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Contrary to title, the spelling is not being changed.

DaveE87

1,145 posts

142 months

Friday 10th September 2021
quotequote all
Triple Six said:
DSVA have published changes in last few mins:

1. BE licence to be scrapped. Everyone who passed B test after 01 Jan 1997 will now be issued with a 'free' BE licence (to be actioned soon)

2. You can now go from B to CE (Class 1 articulated), without the need to pass C (Class 2 rigid) first.

As someone who runs a training school this is quite a big shake up. I feel sorry for friends who's business relies purely on BE training, they have effectively been made redundant at the drop of a hat.

More here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-take...
How soon do you expect for 1 to be actioned?

As for your friends, isn't there a shortage of B licence instructors at the moment? I can only assume the money isn't as good, but it might be an opportunity to learn in a different vehicle than the norm.

InitialDave

12,235 posts

126 months

Friday 10th September 2021
quotequote all
Triple Six said:
DSVA have published changes in last few mins:

1. BE licence to be scrapped. Everyone who passed B test after 01 Jan 1997 will now be issued with a 'free' BE licence (to be actioned soon)
Wow, I really didn't expect that, that's great news.

Stussy

2,065 posts

71 months

Friday 10th September 2021
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It’s rather annoying for those who had to take C before moving to C+E

Triple Six

1,099 posts

129 months

Friday 10th September 2021
quotequote all
DaveE87 said:
Triple Six said:
DSVA have published changes in last few mins:

1. BE licence to be scrapped. Everyone who passed B test after 01 Jan 1997 will now be issued with a 'free' BE licence (to be actioned soon)

2. You can now go from B to CE (Class 1 articulated), without the need to pass C (Class 2 rigid) first.

As someone who runs a training school this is quite a big shake up. I feel sorry for friends who's business relies purely on BE training, they have effectively been made redundant at the drop of a hat.

More here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-take...
How soon do you expect for 1 to be actioned?

As for your friends, isn't there a shortage of B licence instructors at the moment? I can only assume the money isn't as good, but it might be an opportunity to learn in a different vehicle than the norm.
Info below from the official comms email:

DVSA said:
As a result of these changes, all car drivers will be able to tow a trailer weighing up to 3,500kg without the need for an additional test when the law is changed, which will be as soon as possible.

To make more lorry tests available, DVSA will not be carrying out any car and trailer tests from 20 September.