Bus and cOach driving - getting qualified
It may surprise you to know that anyone with a full car licence (subject to certain age limits) may drive buses and coaches over 30 years old provided no more than eight passengers are carried. I am sure the powers that be have thought about this very carefully but although this was a vital concession in terms of my own story, I can think of a few drivers whom I wouldn't like to see driving over ten tonnes around without a lot of training.
Nevertheless it meant I'd got about 1,500 miles under my belt by May 2013, which definitely saved time and money when it came to my own training.
Full qualification comes in two parts: being licensed to drive a fully-loaded coach of any age and a new, additional qualification for professional drivers.
The licence
The basic PCV (Passenger Carrying Vehicle) licence - category D - consists of two theory tests and a practical test. Both theory tests are taken at a computer in an official test centre (and can be booked and taken independently) whereas the practical test would usually be booked as the conclusion to a driving course provided by a commercial training company.
Theory 1 is multiple-choice and based entirely on the official DSA Guide to Driving Buses and Coaches. The questions are taken from a fixed pool of over 1,000, falling under about a dozen headings. Although in principle it is possible simply to learn all the questions (a book containing them all is also available from DSA), in practice a pass is much more likely through thorough knowledge of the guide, which of course is essential for the real world of driving anyway. I got 100%.
Theory 2 is Hazard Perception. You are played ten video clips 'from the driver's seat' and you have to respond to developing hazards by clicking the computer mouse. You can find dummy tests online. It's a bit nebulous and open to criticism but in my case at least, the concept has stayed with me and it definitely informs my driving. I got 86%.
I did my practical training with Apex of Peterborough. They charge a modest fee for an hour's initial assessment. I was told I needed nine days' training but, given the experience I already had, I pushed them to a five-day week with the test on the Friday. My instructor, Mac, said I could have passed by the Wednesday (which gave us a bit of flexibility for even more bacon sandwiches). On the test, major faults will obviously lead to a fail and over fifteen minor faults are a fail at the examiner's discretion. Mac told me anything under 7 minor faults is 'brilliant'.
I got six. Twice I forgot to watch the doors as they close and twice I forgot the blind spot - things I always do in my own bus! I passed too close to some parked cars and I hesitated at the notorious post box corner where you have to steer the front of the bus into a side-road to get the back end clear of a tight kerb.
I was a bit disappointed about the first four but as Mac said, "That's it - you've passed and no one can take that away from you".
The test I took was a 'three pedal' or 'stick' test on an eight-gear manual Setra coach, which in theory at least entitles me to drive any bus or coach in the world. If I had taken the test on an automatic or semi-automatic, I would not be licensed to drive a manual. The DVLA intends to change this to allow the 'two pedal' test to cover manual vehicles but I don't know the reasons for this proposed concession and I don't agree with it.
The professional qualification
By October 2013 all professional bus and coach drivers must have passed 'Driver CPC' - Certificate of Professional Competence, a European Union initiative intended to standardise professional driving standards.
It's a bit controversial, especially amongst experienced drivers. My view is that it is a good idea in principle, but somewhere along the bureaucratic path the outcome has been diluted.
It's in two parts; case studies and practical.
For the case studies it's back to the computer test centre. 'Case studies' sounds a bit grand, like a project, but it's not like that. You are given ten (I think) scenarios consisting of a few paragraphs and a picture - which may or may not add to the narrative. I can't remember any of them but it would be along the lines of a description of a driver's shift with some key points that are relevant to rules and best practice governing bus drivers. Then there are five multiple-choice questions on each question, most of which are covered either by the DSA guide or common sense! I didn't do any specific training for this and I got 92%.
In the CPC practical test, the examiner asks about aspects of the vehicle on which you take the test: things like checking the vehicle is safe, everything works, there is no opportunity for illegal immigrants to hide, how to account for passengers at various stages of the journey, tachograph function, how much weight is added by x-number of passengers with their luggage and so on.
I paid something like £90 to be 'trained' for this but the trainer completely missed that you are asked practical questions about the vehicle in which you are tested and I hadn't even sat in the driving seat before the test, let alone been shown the controls. I still got 95% but I am sure could have got full marks if I had booked the test direct and done it in my own coach.
But it does mean that since 4th May 2013 I have been a fully-qualified EU bus and coach driver.
Nevertheless it meant I'd got about 1,500 miles under my belt by May 2013, which definitely saved time and money when it came to my own training.
Full qualification comes in two parts: being licensed to drive a fully-loaded coach of any age and a new, additional qualification for professional drivers.
The licence
The basic PCV (Passenger Carrying Vehicle) licence - category D - consists of two theory tests and a practical test. Both theory tests are taken at a computer in an official test centre (and can be booked and taken independently) whereas the practical test would usually be booked as the conclusion to a driving course provided by a commercial training company.
Theory 1 is multiple-choice and based entirely on the official DSA Guide to Driving Buses and Coaches. The questions are taken from a fixed pool of over 1,000, falling under about a dozen headings. Although in principle it is possible simply to learn all the questions (a book containing them all is also available from DSA), in practice a pass is much more likely through thorough knowledge of the guide, which of course is essential for the real world of driving anyway. I got 100%.
Theory 2 is Hazard Perception. You are played ten video clips 'from the driver's seat' and you have to respond to developing hazards by clicking the computer mouse. You can find dummy tests online. It's a bit nebulous and open to criticism but in my case at least, the concept has stayed with me and it definitely informs my driving. I got 86%.
I did my practical training with Apex of Peterborough. They charge a modest fee for an hour's initial assessment. I was told I needed nine days' training but, given the experience I already had, I pushed them to a five-day week with the test on the Friday. My instructor, Mac, said I could have passed by the Wednesday (which gave us a bit of flexibility for even more bacon sandwiches). On the test, major faults will obviously lead to a fail and over fifteen minor faults are a fail at the examiner's discretion. Mac told me anything under 7 minor faults is 'brilliant'.
I got six. Twice I forgot to watch the doors as they close and twice I forgot the blind spot - things I always do in my own bus! I passed too close to some parked cars and I hesitated at the notorious post box corner where you have to steer the front of the bus into a side-road to get the back end clear of a tight kerb.
I was a bit disappointed about the first four but as Mac said, "That's it - you've passed and no one can take that away from you".
The test I took was a 'three pedal' or 'stick' test on an eight-gear manual Setra coach, which in theory at least entitles me to drive any bus or coach in the world. If I had taken the test on an automatic or semi-automatic, I would not be licensed to drive a manual. The DVLA intends to change this to allow the 'two pedal' test to cover manual vehicles but I don't know the reasons for this proposed concession and I don't agree with it.
The professional qualification
By October 2013 all professional bus and coach drivers must have passed 'Driver CPC' - Certificate of Professional Competence, a European Union initiative intended to standardise professional driving standards.
It's a bit controversial, especially amongst experienced drivers. My view is that it is a good idea in principle, but somewhere along the bureaucratic path the outcome has been diluted.
It's in two parts; case studies and practical.
For the case studies it's back to the computer test centre. 'Case studies' sounds a bit grand, like a project, but it's not like that. You are given ten (I think) scenarios consisting of a few paragraphs and a picture - which may or may not add to the narrative. I can't remember any of them but it would be along the lines of a description of a driver's shift with some key points that are relevant to rules and best practice governing bus drivers. Then there are five multiple-choice questions on each question, most of which are covered either by the DSA guide or common sense! I didn't do any specific training for this and I got 92%.
In the CPC practical test, the examiner asks about aspects of the vehicle on which you take the test: things like checking the vehicle is safe, everything works, there is no opportunity for illegal immigrants to hide, how to account for passengers at various stages of the journey, tachograph function, how much weight is added by x-number of passengers with their luggage and so on.
I paid something like £90 to be 'trained' for this but the trainer completely missed that you are asked practical questions about the vehicle in which you are tested and I hadn't even sat in the driving seat before the test, let alone been shown the controls. I still got 95% but I am sure could have got full marks if I had booked the test direct and done it in my own coach.
But it does mean that since 4th May 2013 I have been a fully-qualified EU bus and coach driver.