FTA welcomes government climb-down on eco-driver training 13 October 2010

The FTA (Freight Transport Association) has welcomed transport minister Mike Penning's decision to back industry initiatives to cut carbon emissions, rather than heaping more regulation on transport operators.

Earlier this year, government had consulted on making fuel efficiency training a mandatory part of vocational driver training, linked to the Driver CPC.

Every driver would have had to undergo an eco-driver training module every five years. However, FTA argued that, to be effective, training needs to be more frequent, and operators need the flexibility to decide what training should be included within Driver CPC.

Simon Chapman, FTA's chief economist, explains that making eco-driver training compulsory would have cut across oprators' targeted approaches to fuel efficiency training – with effort, for example, focused on the poorest performers.

"This is excellent news for industry; it is a welcome recognition by government that working with the grain of industry, through voluntary initiatives, has the potential to deliver the cost efficiencies that industry is striving for, and the contribution to carbon dioxide emission reductions which government is committed to," comments Chapman.

"It is clear from our audits of LCRS [Logistics Carbon Reduction Scheme] members that driver training is a well-established part of efforts to reduce fuel usage. However, each business has a different approach. Trying to regulate the duration, course content and delivery mechanism for training through Driver CPC makes no sense."

Author
Brian Tinham

Related Companies
Freight Transport Association Ltd

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