Alina Gorgiou, interim president of the Senate, reports that the PNL bill has been voted in the parliament, which lowers the minimum age for obtaining driving licenses for categories C, CE from 21 years to 18 years, respectively from 24 years to 21 years for categories D, DE.

“Good news from the parliament for carriers! The National Liberal Party has a solution to deal with the labor shortage of professional managers in Romania. We have lowered the minimum age for obtaining driving licenses of categories C, CE and D, DE. The law was approved today by the parliament through the draft law on amendments and additions to the extraordinary government order no. 195/2002 regarding road traffic on public roads,” reports Alina Gorgiu.

She stated that “the PNL-led government, as the initiator, intended to come to the aid of real solutions to the current shortage of professional drivers in the labor market, while at the same time responding to the urgent needs of traffic. transport companies in Romania in accordance with the requirements of the European Union”.

What categories of permits are covered by the law:

• category C – for cargo vehicles, the mass of which exceeds 3500 kg and is intended for the transportation of no more than eight passengers;
• category CE – for vehicles of category C towing a heavy trailer;
• category D – for vehicles designed to carry more than eight passengers; (buses, intercity buses)
• category DE – for vehicles of category D towing a heavy trailer;

Gorgiu says that both she and Chamber of Deputies Vice President Florin Alexandru Alexe have held a series of meetings with representatives of Romania’s transporters, who support the adoption of a legislative project submitted back in 2020. In addition, requests National Motor Carriers Union played an important role during the passage of the project through consultations that took place with the president of the Senate,” says Gorgiou.

The new amendments create the necessary legislative framework for lowering the minimum age for obtaining a driving license of category C, CE from 21 years to 18 years, respectively from 24 years to 21 years for categories D, DE for driving license holders. category B license with the condition of obtaining a “certificate of professional competence” (CCP).

The road transport industry in Romania has been experiencing a crisis of professional drivers for many years. This has become even more acute against the background of instability caused by the COVID pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the start of the application of Mobility Package 1.

Romania is one of the worst affected countries, with a shortage of professional drivers of approximately 71,000 positions.

The new legal provisions are in line with European legislation, through which provisions on derogation from the minimum age for relevant categories of vehicles were established by DIRECTIVE (EU) 2018/645 of the European Parliament and of the Council of April 18, 2018.

Until May 23, 2020, the member states of the European Union had the obligation to implement the laws and administrative acts necessary to comply with the directive,” the senator added.

Currently, 17 European countries have already introduced such changes regarding the minimum age for categories C, CE, D, DE, respectively. Among these countries are Austria, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, the Czech Republic, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, Great Britain, she writes. (News.ro)