EU driving licence: Parliament backs street transport industry’s position | IRU

The European Parliament these days adopted its report on the Driving Licence Directive, agreeing on important reforms that will eliminate vital limitations discouraging entry into the driver job.

Setting the pace for the trilogue negotiations with the Council and Commission, the European Parliament’s plenary now adopted its placement on the Driving Licence Directive, providing a appreciable action forward in removing the age barriers going through young drivers as properly as facilitating the integration of third-nation drivers into the EU.

IRU EU Director of Advocacy Raluca Marian said, “The European Parliament took a important action now toward reducing crucial barriers preventing youthful EU citizens from becoming a member of the occupation and 3rd-state motorists from complementing the neighborhood expertise pool. The EU highway transport sector wants the two regional drivers and 3rd-place experts to defeat the continual lack of motorists. We are presently lacking around 500,000 specialist motorists.”

“Our focus very first and foremost is to appeal to more local talent, such as young men and women and women. But provided the scale of driver shortages, coupled with the truth that many drivers are nearing the age of retirement, we need to have to complement the nearby talent pool with 3rd-region drivers,” she additional. 

Important reforms for attracting youthful truck drivers

In what is shaping to turn into a big reform for the trucking sector, the plenary supported the implementation of an EU accompanied driving scheme enabling 17-yr-outdated truck drivers (groups C and C1) to properly get functional driving experience and familiarise them selves with the profession along with an experienced driver. 

“The term ‘accompanied’ is vital when looking at the proposed text in the driving licence revision. A 17-12 months-aged driving a truck beneath the supervision of an seasoned truck driver sitting upcoming to them in the cabin is a form of prolonged on-the-task training. This will go a very long way in closing the school-to-wheel hole. We are joyful to see the Parliament has precisely recognized that,” explained Raluca Marian.

The Parliament has also clarified that the minimum driving age for each countrywide and international truck operations is 18 several years previous in the EU.

Main reforms for attracting youthful bus and mentor drivers

Equally, the Parliament has verified that 21 many years aged is the minimal age for skilled bus and mentor motorists.

The Parliament has also launched the chance for Member States to take away the arbitrary 50-kilometre restrict for 19-yr-previous expert bus and coach drivers to transport passengers inside of their national territory. 

“Today’s European Parliament report can be thought of as a achievement for collective passenger transport, which is less than significant force thanks to the shortage of motorists that grew by 54% from 2021 to 2022,” explained Raluca Marian.

“We are getting rid of as well lots of young European experienced bus and mentor driver candidates owing to these legal limitations. We can already see the stressing implications of this: fewer than 3% of bus and mentor drivers are beneath 25. This craze will only additional worsen in the coming decades if no concrete action is taken,” she added.

3rd-state motorists

In line with the European Parliament’s Transport Committee, the Parliament recognised the have to have to lengthen the Commission’s proposal to produce an EU-framework for recognising third-region drivers’ licences and skills.

“The enhancement of a harmonised and transparent EU-framework for recognising third-country professional drivers’ licences and qualifications is very important. 3rd-region motorists should profit from the exact same legal rights as European drivers. For this, it is required that their legal rights are recognised and revered throughout all Member States. We want 3rd-country motorists to enhance the regional expertise pool and fill the gap,” said Raluca Marian.

Aid for taxi organization and smaller city shipping and delivery fleets

The European Parliament supported the Transport Committee’s practical proposal to aid the uptake of alternatively fuelled motor vehicles by allowing B-class licence holders to driver alternatively fuelled vehicles of up to 4.25 tonnes, when compared to the existing restrict of 3.50 tonnes.

“The Parliament’s report accurately took into thought the realities shaping the uptake of zero-emission motor vehicles. This is significantly critical for taxis and transportation providers driving alternatively fuelled vans or minibuses which also will need to transportation specific tools this kind of as wheelchairs, which normally benefits in a total pounds involving 3.5 and 4.25 tonnes,. Think about if all of a sudden all these drivers would have desired C or D licences just for the reason that their automobiles became heavier owing to technology,” explained Raluca Marian.

Future steps

Each the Parliament and the Council have now adopted their positions on the Directive. The trilogue negotiations are anticipated to conclude less than the following legislature.

“We hope the Parliament negotiators will encourage their Council counterparts of their position’s pragmatism, which is supported by the street transport industry,” concluded Raluca Marian.