The DSA had 100 Driver CPC audits referred to it by JAUPT last year after concerns about the standard of training provision were raised following general inspections.
The figures were revealed at last month’s RHA National Training Conference at Warwick University by Peter Weddell-Hall, head of training accreditation services at DSA.
Of the 100 cases JAUPT sent to the DSA for investigation:
- 52% of centres had failed to provide course dates;
- 27% were about short course delivery;
- 8% had identity checking and course registration issues;
- 7% used unapproved course material;
- 6% of centres had issues regarding record keeping and policies.
As a consequence, 53 drivers had their hours invalidated and 81 had their hours blocked from upload.
To date, URTU remains the only training centre to have had its training approval withdrawn by DSA.
JAUPT conducted 1,100 general audits of courses and training centres for the 2012/13 period, broadly in line with the level of enforcement activity in the same period a year ago. Where audits find cause for concern about how courses are delivered, they are referred to the DSA for investigation.
While not like-for-like, at last year’s RHA training conference Guy Chamberlain, head of post test operations at DSA, said the agency had received more than 60 complaints about poor Driver CPC training since September 2009, and had 25 under investigation.
A DSA spokeswoman said: “There is strong evidence that the audit programme is effective. Where centres have been challenged, they have taken steps to address the issues.”
