Today Austroads, with the assistance of Frontier Economics, released a Regulatory Impact Statement seeking feedback on proposed reforms to Heavy Vehicle drive licensing.

With a growing freight task and changing vehicle fleet, Australia needs a lot of well-trained and capable heavy vehicle drivers.  Because of this transport Ministers requested Austroads look for ways to improve the National Heavy Vehicle Driver Competency Framework (NHVDCF) which informs state and territory heavy vehicle driver licensing arrangement.

Today Austroads, with the assistance of Frontier Economics, released a Consultation Regulatory Impact Statement (CRIS) seeking feedback on proposed reforms which include:

• Introducing eligibility criteria that limits drivers with serious driving offences from applying to be a heavy vehicle driver.
• Strengthening the skills, knowledge and competencies taught and assessed, in particular to recognise the extra skill needed to drive the most complex vehicles.
• Requiring minimum behind-the-wheel time pre-licence and/or supervised driving sessions post-licence.
• Introducing options that enable drivers who can demonstrate driving and work experience to obtain a licence to driver more complex vehicles more rapidly.

The C-RIS is available here and is out for comment until 28 October.

Frontier Economics regularly advises clients on a range of policy and regulatory matters in the freight sector.