Competence certificates for public transport drivers
All professional drivers of passenger transport vehicles with more than eight passenger seats, who obtained their driving licence since September 2008 are required to sit for an examination to obtain a Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC), the ADT said today.
Similarly, professional drivers of goods carrying vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of more than 3.5T must obtain this certification if they obtained their driving licence since September 2009.
Drivers who held category C and D licences prior to those dates are not required to obtain such certification, but will be required to undergo periodic training every five years to ensure that they attain the necessary professional standard.
The Authority said it recently completed EU funded training programme to enable its driving examiners to test prospective candidates for Category C (Goods Carrying) and Category D (Passenger Carrying) vehicles in line with EU directives.
The driving examiners were given demonstrations on international best practice, and through extensive practical and theoretical training, they were taught how to conduct CPC practical tests for prospective drivers. been accredited.
As part of this project, the theoretical testing system is also being updated in line with the requirements of the directive, the ADT said.
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ct busuttil
Nov 16th 2009, 18:28
Well done. Its beginning to feel like the 21st century. Prepare for many failures.
Joseph Schembri
Nov 16th 2009, 16:50
Years ago I had heard that there is/ was a driving school in Malta with very professional teachers who really go into the nitty gritty. Things like what to do when you are in a skid, braking in emergencies etc. Apparently the courses are/ were open to people who already have a driving license. I would welcome any info about this.
Alfred Grima
Nov 16th 2009, 16:41
Few days after the budget and another tax imposed by the government.
Francis Bellizzi
Nov 16th 2009, 16:00
The tragedy about today`s driving instructors is that they teach students how to pass the driving test and not how to drive safely and professionally. Once a student passes his/ her test they go back to bad and dangerouse driving habits. So therefore rigid enforcement by the transport authority and traffic police must be the next step. And than retraining as part of the punishment for consistent offenders with of couse the ultimate penalty if all else fails.
J Martinelli
Nov 16th 2009, 16:00
Irrespective of the licence acquisition date, public transport drivers, should all be given an 'attitude test'.
That is 'attitude' - not to be confused with 'aptitude test', although the latter may be of some usefulness.
Tonio Bone
Nov 16th 2009, 14:29
I feel that due to my past working experience I have a thing or two to say about the matter. The general problem in Malta, almost for any trade, is that people arrive to do it without any schooling whatsoever. Driving jobs in Malta are not immune from this. It may be true that the ADT has not applied most EU directives because of exemptions and it is also true that changing cultures is no easy task.
Perhaps the implementation of the new directives will increase competence and professionalism which lacks with drivers with taxi's, mini-buses, buses and trucks in general across the board.
Mr Callus is very competent on EU rules concerning transport, and I assure all readers that it is not his fault if the situation is as it is today.
There is so much to be changed, but it should not have been such a straight forward affair to obtain such licences. I understand everyone's frustrations as our standards are way below anyone else's, but as I said, changing cultures is the first problem one has to deal with. If things are taken seriously, we will improve.
C Cassar
Nov 16th 2009, 13:14
@ carmel callus: I'm very fluent with EU law and it's directives thank you.
If you read beyond the first line of my post it was a suggestion to augment the directive by placing emphasis on older drivers who never went through strict training and testing.
Having done that you would have discovered that the EU directive is open for improvement which your comment offers nothing as a contribution.
DVella
Nov 16th 2009, 11:17
@carmel callus
I will comment all I like, thank you very much . . . it is my right to do so an neither you, nor any self-appointed 'professor' has any right to deny it!
Notwithstanding the provisions of the law and any relevant EU Directives, the barbaric driving antics (not to mention their attitude towards their passengers) of some of the aforementioned should be taken into account and addressed appropriately !
. . . . do you drive on local roads at all Mister Callus??? (!)
Lesly Calderbank
Nov 16th 2009, 11:17
Its a move in the right direction as most just haven't got what it takes to be a competant drivers to carry ANY passengers, without overtaken reklessly, no signals and above all speeding trying to do the job in less time then it would take to get from A to B. Very dangerous some of them especially the red vans carring tourists on transaction from the MIA to the Hotels, in my country our professional examiners would fail them before they actually open the vehicle's door by just observing their manner as a passenger driver. Yes a competence certiciate is BADLY NEEDED on the islands, it would save alot of lives and alos we as foreigners would feel alot safer.
Paul Barrett
Nov 16th 2009, 11:13
Ummm - isn't this like sort of bureaucratic having to have a licence to have a licence???
How about just making it a two part test and then just having the one licence.
Anthony Debono
Nov 16th 2009, 11:03
All this is because it's an EU directive.
Has the ADT checked the level of literacy of these drivers?
Competence? Getting full marks in an exam does not make a person a better driver.
It has to be instilled in oneself.
And to be honest, I believe it won't change (bad) driving mannerisms.
What enforcement mechanisms will be employed? What if a driver is caught (if ever) without a qualification? Fined? Vehicle confiscation?
Tony Berkeley
Nov 16th 2009, 10:51
What seem to be missing here is some sort of enforcement and checking strategy to ensure compliance and penelty clauses. Publishing laws and regulations is the easy part of the process, and one cannot deny that in Malta one always seems to find a way round these
or make excuses. Taking away driving licences for offenders for example would portray the seriousness of the authorities in bringing about an improvement. I was holidaying in Mellieha this year, and watching HGV and service delivery vans/lorries from the balcony was shocking. When one considers the danger to the public when these guys break common sense rules, make it a matter of urgency that the law is and enforced and seen to be so, to send the message to everyone.
johann borg
Nov 16th 2009, 10:46
@ c.cassar;
mind you that obtaining the licence with the new "reform", does not mean that we drivers are better. I did the test last year, and we are thought so many stupid things which are key to pass the test, but stupid in real life. i know people who passed their test after their 3rd attempt, but still didn't knew how to park. they only got it by experience.
so my point is; those drivers that have been driving for ages are the best drivers of all, that's why they were called from the UK to work for them, coz they knew that maltese drivers are the best, given the narrow streets, the enormous law floor buses, ( which aren't suitable for our roads), weather conditions etc. And mind you, it's not easy to drive such long vehicle and having the responsibility of more than 45 passengers.
T Mifsud
Nov 16th 2009, 10:39
When are the authorities going to introduce a system to eliminate bad mannered drivers from the public transport reform? This is especially aimed at taxi drivers especially the white ones and with focus on bus drivers. The reform will be a failure if bad manners/lack of customer service are not addressed. Authorities should not be bullied by the known bully bus drivers but should addressed them immediately. They are the weakest link in the Reform success or failure.
May i suggest that all bus drivers should have a standard customer service course with year round undercover inspections. Those who fail the inspection will have their tag removed on their 2nd breach.
DO SOMETHING EFFECTIVE TO ADDRESS IT!
Christian Sciberras
Nov 16th 2009, 10:33
I think it's more useful if *older* drivers sat for the exam instead of the newer ones.
It's the older drivers that are *behind the times* not the freshly registered ones!
Peter Korsten
Nov 16th 2009, 10:31
z'Why just drivers of vehicles with more than eight seats??? Shouldn't taxi drivers and chauffered-car drivers be required to pass a competence test?? Or is someone worried that most of them won't get anywhere near passing it!!!"
Why would a chauffeur driving a minister need a special license, but not I driving my wife and child? That doesn't make sense, and I think we've got more than enough licenses, permits and regulations already in this country.
The number of eight passengers may seem arbitrary, but you have to put the limit somewhere between a private person taking some people, and a professional driver, like of a route bus. In my native Netherlands, you may take up to eight people in a minivan without needing a special driving license.
carmel callus
Nov 16th 2009, 10:30
@ D. Vella, C. Cassar
Don't cmment if you are not knowledgeable of the law and the EU Directives/Regulations.
C Cassar
Nov 16th 2009, 10:07
Surely ALL public transport drivers should sit for an examination to obtain a Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC), no matter when they obtained their licenses. In fact the longer ago the license was obtained the more emphasis/priority should be on being obliged to take the examination for the certificate. The longer one goes back the the standard ofdriving is much worse since testing and driving conditions were much, much more basic.
At least all bus drivers should be retested to a new standard within the next 12 months and those that fail should be removed from their current positions by losing their license.
DVella
Nov 16th 2009, 10:03
Why just drivers of vehicles with more than eight seats??? Shouldn't taxi drivers and chauffered-car drivers be required to pass a competence test?? Or is someone worried that most of them won't get anywhere near passing it!!!