The Department for Transport has launched a consultation about proposed reforms to the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (DCPC) qualification.

These changes have been long awaited and include plans to create parallel national and international DCPC qualifications and scope to introduce a pass or fail approach to certain aspects of the mechanism.

Additional changes being considered include:

• Reducing minimum course lengths to enhance flexibility of delivering periodic training
• The option of new periodic test as an alternative to periodic training, which would be delivered by the DVSA
• An accelerated route for former drivers to return to the sector more

If implemented, reforms will establish a National DCPC for use in Great Britain and possibly Northern Ireland should Northern Ireland ministers agree (as DCPC is a devolved matter).

The DVSA reiterate that these proposals are just that and are all subject to consultation and no final decision has been made on the reforms.

The consultation process launched on the 2nd March 2023, you can read further into the proposals and respond here.

Customers subscribing to SmartAnalysis can benefit from a free module to help them manage the status of Driver CPC training with their drivers. Whilst SmartLicence verifies a drivers CPC when it conducts a driving licence check with the DVLA to ensure all drivers are entitled to drive.