News

Foreign drivers could end up facing little more than a slap on the wrist if they break rules surrounding the new driver training legislation in the UK, while UK drivers and operators could face a £1,000 fine. The planned fines are contained within proposals put forward by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) for the implementation of the Compulsory Training Directive in 2009.

Seemingly, the maximum fine a foreign driver would receive is a £30 fixed-penalty notice if they cannot produce their  Driver Qualification Card (DCQ) at a roadside check. The card has to be carried at all times as evidence of training.

All drivers will have to pay the £30 fixed penalty for not carrying the DCQ - but VOSA will only have access to a UK driver's training record through its databases to check they are complying with the legislation. If a driver has broken the rules they, plus their employer, could potentially face court action and a maximum penalty of £1,000 each.

Freight Transport Assoc-iation (FTA) head of policy Joan Williams says the FTA is leaning on the DSA to delete the requirement for drivers to carry evidence at all times. She says that while the DSA argues that the requirement to carry a DCQ would provide a level playing-field, they cannot deliver as VOSA "cannot check whether [foreign drivers] have had training".

She adds that it invites the possibility of foreign operators chancing a £30 fine for their drivers if caught at the UK roadside, rather than  shelling out on training costs. The DSA was unavailable for comment as MT went to press.