DfT launches heavier van consultation

The DfT has launched a consultation on plans to allow heavier vans to be driven on car licences if they are electric or gas powered.

The proposal is that the limit for alternative-fuel vehicles that can be driven on a car driving licence should be increased from 3,500kg to 4,250kg.

This would enable alternative-fuel vans to carry the same weight of goods as conventional diesel vehicles. This is currently a deal-breaker for many organisations, such as supermarkets, whose home delivery vehicles are weight constrained.

Under the current system, a driver needs a C1 category licence to drive a vehicle over 3,500kg. The consultation document, published by the Department for Transport, estimates that this can cost an additional £1,200 per driver, as a result of the cost of licence acquisition, higher salaries, compulsory medical exams, and driver CPC training.

The consultation will run until 18th October.