Free driver CPC training available in Hammersmith and Fulham
I have been working with TfL over the last year to develop a JAUPT accredited Driver CPC Safer London Driving course for lorry drivers with a heavy emphasis on the needs of vulnerable road users, and especially cyclists. The course that we have developed is the first accredited course in the UK which includes practical on-road cycle training for the drivers. This course will count towards the 35 hours DCPC that all professional lorry drivers need to complete by 2014.
Our course contains two modules of 3.5 hours, one in the classroom and one mostly outside in a suitable traffic-free area for level 1 Bikeability training then out on suitable local roads for a sample of levels 2 and 3 - quiet and busy roads. The course takes place in Fulham and is available free of charge (apart from the £8.75 document upload fee) to any lorry driver who drives in the London Borough of Hammermith & Fulham.
Our interest is getting as many lorry drivers who are either based or drive regularly in Hammersmith & Fulham to take this training course, and ultimately to cut the terrible death toll in London arising from lorry/cyclist collisions. We have already run successful courses for the Serco drivers who drive our refuse lorries.
We are in the happy position, for the time being while funds last, of being able to offer this free of charge (apart from the £8.75 document upload fee per driver trained) for courses of up to 20 drivers on 5 courses we have planned before the end of March. This training will be joint-funded between TfL and LBH&F.
Please contact me for further information if you are interested.
Best Regards
Richard Evans
Transport & Technical Services
London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
5th floor, Town Hall Extension, King Street, London, W6 9JU
020 8753 3344 stp@lbhf.gov.uk lbhf.gov.uk
After checking with Site Admin, the info in this post has been verified and now has permission to be reposted. dd.
I applaud you sir. It’s good to see someone taking the DCPC seriously and using it to actually make a difference.but first of all, if i applied, being an agency driver based around Oxford, who currently occasionally ( about once a week)drives into London, possibly through Fulham and hammersmith, but not always,would I be eligable?
Also, is this initative of training and educating road users, solely directed at lorry drivers, or do you also offer a similar course for cyclists to educate them in safe use of busy roads, as the majority of cyclists in central London tend to ignore most traffic laws, and leave what commmon sense they have at home?.
truckerjon:
Also, is this initative of training and educating road users, solely directed at lorry drivers, or do you also offer a similar course for cyclists to educate them in safe use of busy roads, as the majority of cyclists in central London tend to ignore most traffic laws, and leave what commmon sense they have at home?.
I think that is a good idea, and much more use than a DCPC trainer teaching trollop as demonstrated on this forum over the last few days.
ADR is a good one to go for, probably Allmi or Moffett too, at least it makes drivers employable but I still want the companies to pay for the training.
With the cycling it could probably save your life on a weekend or while heading to work
Already got my name down, it’s a worthwhile course, it gives me 7 hours of the DCPC abortion, and it’s almost free! wish some other councils, government bodies safety groups and organisations, and employers would do the same.
The fact drivers can obtain DCPC for free is great … but surely this is going at things from the wrong end? Its usually the cyclists at fault and the cyclists that need training.
I am sure this is Goverment money being spent to train the wrong people. With today’s traffic conditions and the amount of cyclists on the road isn’t it about time they had to pass a test and have a licence? i do for the bike i ride - but there again it’s got a 1000cc V-Twin engine!
However - I am amused by the thought of a load of truck drivers in hi-vis vests and borrowed helmets wobbling around London on push bikes with little baskets on the front for their clip boards … that is what this training is isn’t it? This is what their website says “We want to get cyclists into the cab of a lorry, and lorry drivers onto bikes” So to gain FREE DCPC drivers are prepared to go cycle round London potentially getting crushed by a passing HGV And what if I can’t ride a bike? Surely that’s excluding me?
If I have to show my driving licence to prove I can go on a DCPC course - do I need to find my old cycling proficiency certificate to show I can ride a bike? Will the H&S brigade let you out without one?
I would have thought most truck drivers would already know that if a cyclist goes up the inside of an HGV that then turns left - it’s gonna hurt. (why did they put the bloody cycle lane there anyway?). Most truck drivers probably know that going out on a pushbike in London is a scary thing with all those HGVs out there.
Seriously - I think its a great start to tackle a big problem and the driver is going to come out of it better off. (free DCPC). What we in the industry need is a campaign for compulsory further training for cyclists and car drivers so that they understand the HGV drivers’ world. if Iw as in that area I’d have a go - but I’m oop North where the free money trees don’t grow. I’ve also got my DQC already
shep532:
The fact drivers can obtain DCPC for free is great … but surely this is going at things from the wrong end? Its usually the cyclists at fault and the cyclists that need training.
I am sure this is Goverment money being spent to train the wrong people. With today’s traffic conditions and the amount of cyclists on the road isn’t it about time they had to pass a test and have a licence? i do for the bike i ride - but there again it’s got a 1000cc V-Twin engine!
However - I am amused by the thought of a load of truck drivers in hi-vis vests and borrowed helmets wobbling around London on push bikes with little baskets on the front for their clip boards … that is what this training is isn’t it? This is what their website says “We want to get cyclists into the cab of a lorry, and lorry drivers onto bikes” So to gain FREE DCPC drivers are prepared to go cycle round London potentially getting crushed by a passing HGV And what if I can’t ride a bike? Surely that’s excluding me?
If I have to show my driving licence to prove I can go on a DCPC course - do I need to find my old cycling proficiency certificate to show I can ride a bike? Will the H&S brigade let you out without one?
I would have thought most truck drivers would already know that if a cyclist goes up the inside of an HGV that then turns left - it’s gonna hurt. (why did they put the bloody cycle lane there anyway?). Most truck drivers probably know that going out on a pushbike in London is a scary thing with all those HGVs out there.
Seriously - I think its a great start to tackle a big problem and the driver is going to come out of it better off. (free DCPC). What we in the industry need is a campaign for compulsory further training for cyclists and car drivers so that they understand the HGV drivers’ world. if Iw as in that area I’d have a go - but I’m oop North where the free money trees don’t grow. I’ve also got my DQC already
There is only one small Problem
Im that heavy that rear Wheel on Bike is always flat,dont matter how much Air is in.
tryed that when i bought a bike in haltwhistle and had to forward it to the next Charity Shop,as a Policeman lost due much loughing balance and fell from bicycle. gave me the Idea it enough,but Road Safety has priority,so i will try it.Just dont get us near a Camera
Just a quick reminder that we have another 4 Safer Urban Driving courses planned before the end of March… free driver CPC training course in Fulham, on 21st & 23rd Feb and 20th & 22nd March, please contact me off-list if you are interested stp@lbhf.gov.uk
shep532:
Although I applaud what has gone on here and can’t knock the free DCPC I just don’t see how taking drivers out on bikes does the job.
Surely anyone who drives an HGV or even PSV appreciates that a cyclist alongside him will get squashed when he turns left etc.
What about training the cyclists? From what I have seen they are usually the idiots.
I seem to remember from my time living in Germany that cycle paths were part of the footpath - not the road. Kindda makes sense eh?
And I still want to see some video footage of these drivers wobbling around on their borrowed bikes - hi-vis flapping in the wind.
Hi Shep532, if you come and do the training you will get answers to all these questions and loads more, it’s great fun, and it’s free, you have to do CPC anyway and this course addresses a genuine life-death issue… what are you waiting for? I’m looking forward to meeting you.
It’s a great idea Richard,good to see such a proactive approach to the cpc.
I for one hope it’s filmed as watching a load of lard arsed truckers who haven’t rode a bike since they were kids wobbling around Fullham.
In the words of MasterCard -priceless!!
shame some members cannot see past there noses, and still moan, LGV drivers are at fault for crushing cyclists at times, yes i fully agree that cyclist dice with death eveytime they will go up in the inside of Bus/Truck etc, but Drivers of these vehicles also have to take blame at times, I see a trucker over take a cyclist then cut him up forcing him on to a pavement because he obviously didnt look in his mirror or just ignorant to the rider.
shep532:
Although I applaud what has gone on here and can’t knock the free DCPC I just don’t see how taking drivers out on bikes does the job.
Surely anyone who drives an HGV or even PSV appreciates that a cyclist alongside him will get squashed when he turns left etc.
What about training the cyclists? From what I have seen they are usually the idiots.
I seem to remember from my time living in Germany that cycle paths were part of the footpath - not the road. Kindda makes sense eh?
And I still want to see some video footage of these drivers wobbling around on their borrowed bikes - hi-vis flapping in the wind.
Hi Shep532, if you come and do the training you will get answers to all these questions and loads more, it’s great fun, and it’s free, you have to do CPC anyway and this course addresses a genuine life-death issue… what are you waiting for? I’m looking forward to meeting you.
I already have my DQC so any CPC training before 2014 is a waste (as far as the DCPC goes) so I’ll leave it for now. But you are completely right … I should come along - although I haven’t ridden a 2 wheeler without an engine since 1991.
I still maintain the image in my mind of most of the drivers I know venturing out onto the streets on a bike … get it on youtube
discoman:
Really nice to see a council being proactive,
shame some members cannot see past there noses, and still moan, LGV drivers are at fault for crushing cyclists at times, yes i fully agree that cyclist dice with death eveytime they will go up in the inside of Bus/Truck etc, but Drivers of these vehicles also have to take blame at times, I see a trucker over take a cyclist then cut him up forcing him on to a pavement because he obviously didnt look in his mirror or just ignorant to the rider.
Hopefully this remark wasn’t aimed at me? I will hold my hands up and say this sounds like a great idea but I believe whatever money has been spent would be better spent on the cyclists or improving the facilities for cyclists. lets face it - the trucks are needed, the cyclists aren’t. So leave the roads to the trucks and get the cyclists outta there and somewhere safe.
I will openly admit I wouldn’t dream of venturing onto busy roads by cycle. I crossed inner London once on my motorbike - never again and that was when I had the acceleration and brakes to get out of trouble as well as a pretty big road presence with big lights and noisey exhausts (and a flamin big horn).
Mate of mine runs a small fleet and does work for CrossRail. he has now been forced to fit ‘cyclist sensors’ to the nearside front, fresnel lenses, cyclist beware signs on the back and a big list of other stuff or he isn’t allowed to work for CrossRail. I can see its all good stuff - the sensors (and a big speaker shouting “caution this vehicle is turning left”) are great although the drivers think not. problem is its has cost him quite a chunk of money to comply yet 90% of the time it is the cyclist at fault.
It’s good to see all the debate and banter here and thanks for the general level of support that you are showing for our initiative. I’d just like to remind you that we ARE also getting the message to cyclists as best we can, see our webpage here for details. We are not seeking to apportion blame to either cyclists or lorry drivers, we are genuinely trying to do something positive to cut pointless road deaths.
Shep532 you are well ahead of most drivers in my experience if you already have your 35 hours CPC done… many firms and drivers seem still blissfully unaware of the EU requirement… come September 2014, no CPC = no job.
Richard Evans:
Shep532 you are well ahead of most drivers in my experience if you already have your 35 hours CPC done… many firms and drivers seem still blissfully unaware of the EU requirement… come September 2014, no CPC = no job.
There is a very good reason I already have my DQC . . . . . I’m actually a DCPC Trainer and run a training company I didn’t cheat though - did 14 hours with another company and then did my ADR with Diesel Dave
I couldn’t agree more with what you have said though. Every day I speak to companies who are ‘seeing how it goes’ or ‘doing it next year’ or even ‘hoping it will go away’. only last week I was in a canteen with 12 coach drivers (most owner drivers) who haven’t done ANY DCPC yet. I was talking £30 a head to sort 7 hours for them and they still didn’t go for it. They all believed it will be like the Working Time Directive and basically not enforced by VOSA or will simply go away. these guys only have 18 months to get the 35 hours. Crazy.
I am really interested in what you are doing to be honest … might drop you a PM tonight.
This is what their website says “We want to get cyclists into the cab of a lorry, and lorry drivers onto bikes” So to gain FREE DCPC drivers are prepared to go cycle round London potentially getting crushed by a passing HGV 
And what if I can’t ride a bike? Surely that’s excluding me?