The EU has made temporary changes to the road transport rules that apply to operators and drivers of heavy goods and public service vehicles, to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) on the road transport sector.
Driver Qualification Card (DQC) validity
DQCs expiring before 31 August, 2020
The validity of DQCs that expire between 1 February 2020 and 31 August 2020 has been extended for 7 months.
If the expiry date on your card is in this period, you need to add 7 months to that date to calculate the new expiry date.
The extension will be applied automatically. You do not need to take any action. You must continue to carry your DQC.
DQCs expiring in September 2020
On 31 March, 2020 DVSA gave notice that, subject to review, enforcement action would not be taken against drivers from 1 September, 2020 to 30 September, 2020 if their DQC expired during this period. This would have allowed up to an additional 29 days to complete periodic CPC training, due to COVID-19 disruption.
As there are now enough periodic training courses available, this notice has been rescinded and enforcement action will be carried out from September in relation to DQCs expiring after 31 August.
If your DQC expires from 1 September, 2020 you must not drive until it is renewed.
Find out what to do here.
Tachograph Calibration
Calibrations and inspections due before 31, August 2020
All tachograph calibration and inspection certificates which are listed as expiring between 1 March, 2020 to 31 August, 2020 are extended by 6 months from the date the calibration was originally due.
All tachograph calibration certificates expiring from 1 September, 2020 must be renewed as usual.
A special notice providing further information will be published in due course.
Tachograph card renewal
From 1 March, 2020 to 31 August, 2020 drivers who apply to renew their tachograph card no later than 15 days before their card is due to expire, can continue to drive until they receive a new card.
Drivers who apply for a replacement tachograph card within 7 days of their card being damaged, malfunctioning, lost or stolen, can continue to drive until they receive a new card.
In these situations, drivers with expired cards must record their hours in the same way as when their driver card is damaged, malfunctioning, or is lost or stolen. This is described here.
Operator Financial Standing Update
The maximum grace period a Traffic Commissioner may give an operator to demonstrate renewed financial standing following a finding that the requirement has not been met has been extended from 6 months to 12 months. This only applies to assessments of inadequate financial standing made between 1 March, 2020 and 30 September, 2020.
The Senior Traffic Commissioner will issue an update to the existing Statutory Guidance and Statutory Directions on how this may be applied in due course.
Driver Attestation Update
The validity of driver attestations that expire from 1 March, 2020 to 31 August, 2020 have been extended for 6 months.