Changes will be introduced by the Driving Standards Agency and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency that affect HGV, bus and coach driving test and licence requirements within the next couple of months. The changes were originally due to start in January 2014.  The agency will confirm the new dates as soon as they are known but it is expected to be within the next two months. The changes will:

• Remove the need for 8-forward gear ratios for large test vehicles (category C)
• Allow people who take a lorry or bus test (category C and D) in an automatic vehicle to get a manual entitlement for those vehicles, if they already have a manual entitlement for cars, lorries or buses, with or without trailers (category B, B+E, C, C+E, C1, C1+E, D, D+E, D1+E).

Existing drivers with an automatic lorry or bus licence will be able to get this manual entitlement when they exchange or upgrade their licence if they already have a manual entitlement in the above categories. Read more about the changes.