The case in summary • Energy fitters in Norway are required to take a 140-hour professional driver’s course in order to drive a truck at work, even if they have a driving license for the vehicle in question.• Grid companies, the EL and IT Association and the organization Fornybar Norge believe this is a square practice of the legislation.• The Swedish Road Administration claims that everyone who drives heavy vehicles must have a professional driver’s qualification, and that this is an EU directive.• The Gudbrandsdal Energi group believes that their energy installers fall under an exception provision where you do not need a professional driver’s course, and that the costs of the course is ultimately passed on to the customers.• The Ministry of Transport is in dialogue with the Norwegian Road Administration about the interpretation of the relevant provision after the unions sent a letter asking that the Norwegian Road Administration be instructed to interpret the regulations differently. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – I think this is very strict. I am not a professional driver, says Martin Mathiesen. He is an energy fitter at the network company Vevig. Mathisen has not yet taken the course, and must sit in the passenger seat when he is at work. Even if he has a truck driver’s license. And even if he only has to transport equipment to carry out maintenance. Energy fitters in the company Vevig in Nord-Fron in Gudbrandsdalen are required to have a professional driver’s course if they are to drive this type of truck. Photo: Frode Meskau / news The reason is that all energy fitters are required to take a course of 140 hours for professional drivers Square practice of the law, according to EL and the IT association and Renewable Norway. – Useless course Colleague Ola Øybrekken has taken the course. – Was it a useful course? – No. In no way. It is probably more suitable for those who are lorry drivers by profession, than the purpose we have. – What did you learn? – It was a lot about diet and economic driving. Energy fitter Ola Øybrekken. Photo: Frode Meskau / news Dispute over interpretation of regulations The background to the dispute is the professional driver regulations. The parties disagree about how the rules should be interpreted, and which professions and transport tasks require a professional driver’s course. Øyvind Lund in the Norwegian Public Roads Administration says that everyone who is going to drive heavy vehicles must initially have competence as a professional driver. – This is an EU directive. The regulations are there because we need competent and trained drivers, says Lund. He believes the most important thing is traffic safety. – This is part of the zero vision. We need drivers who have proper training in driving the heaviest vehicles, says specialist advisor Øyvind Lund in the Norwegian Public Roads Administration. Photo: Frode Meskau / news – But why does an energy fitter need to learn about diet and economical driving on long distances? – It is a shame if someone finds this course useless. The feedback we get is mainly that drivers are satisfied and find it useful. – They are not professional drivers Per Oluf Solbraa says it is completely incomprehensible that their fitters have to take this course. He is CEO of Gudbrandsdal Energi. – They are energy fitters, and they have a driver’s license to drive a lorry, he says. – We use our trucks to transport equipment to our own network. The car and the equipment on the plane are really one big tool for our own use, in our line network, says Group CEO Per Oluf Solbraa of Gudbrandsdal Energi, of which the Vevig group is a part. Photo: Frode Meskau / news He believes that the Swedish Road Administration interprets the regulations too strictly, and that online companies such as Vevig come under an exception provision. – The expenses are passed on to the customers According to the CEO, the course amounts to annual extra expenses of around NOK 310,000. – These are course costs, accommodation and lost working time. In addition, there is a loss of productivity because the fitters are away for a period. In addition, everyone must attend a 35-hour refresher course every five years. These are expenses that are ultimately passed on to the customers, he says. Solbraa also believes that this is a “bad thing” in the green shift we are in. He says it is important to use all available resources to have a good line network. Should energy fitters be required to take a vocational driver’s course? Of course, road safety is everything! 🙋♂️ Well, I don’t know 🤷 No, they all have driving licenses for heavy vehicles 🤦 Isn’t it possible to get a smaller, more customized professional driver’s course? 🤔 Show result The ministry will assess the interpretation The two confederations are now tired of the whole case, and have sent a letter to the Ministry of Transport. In the letter, they request that the Swedish Road Administration be instructed to interpret the regulations differently. – We are in dialogue with the National Roads Administration about the interpretation of the provision in question, says senior advisor Kristin Bentdal Larsen in the ministry. Published 21.10.2024, at 16.11
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Network companies react to the Swedish Road Administration requiring energy fitters to take a professional driver’s course – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
