An option for PCV and HGV drivers with an expired Driver CPC to rejoin those industries via utilisation of a return to driving course went live on 1 February.
The change forms part of wider reform to Driver CPC that was passed by Parliament in late 2024. Under the return to driving approach, that specific seven-hour course can be taken where a Driver CPC is expired by at least 60 days but no more than two years.
Upon completion of the initial training and its recording by the provider, the driver involved will be able to return to the profession domestically with a one-year National Driver CPC, introduction of which is a further element of the reform.
They must then complete the remaining 28 hours of training within the following 12 months to receive a Driver Qualification Card with the outstanding four years’ validity of the five-year, 35-hour cycle.
For returning drivers who wish to work internationally, they must first regain an International Driver CPC via 35 hours’ training. That total can include the return to driving course.
Under the newly introduced domestic ‘fast track’, the return to driving course can be split over two consecutive days and has options for in-person or remote sessions. Up to two hours’ e-learning can be integrated into the course time.
Advice around the approach published by trade body RHA notes that specific focus areas are used depending on whether the driver concerned will return to coach and bus or HGV. In the former case, passenger safety and disability awareness sit alongside the vulnerable road users, drivers’ hours and tachographs topics that are common with HGV.
“This initiative is not just a reform; it is a lifeline for the road transport sector,” Training Director Brian Kenny adds. “By enabling drivers to return quickly and efficiently, it addresses industry skill shortages while supporting people in reestablishing their careers.”
Guidance on the gov.uk website notes that where a return to driving course is used, the individual concerned will not be able to drive beyond the first year if they do not go on to complete a further 28 hours’ Driver CPC tuition. The return to driving module may only be taken once every five years.
