Driver Training in the Spotlight: Busworld Europe 2025 Puts People at the Heart of Safety

Safety First: Policy Perspective from ETSC

Ellen Townsend, Policy Director at the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), set the scene with a sobering figure: around 40% of road deaths in the EU are work-related. Progress towards the EU’s 2030 road safety targets has slowed, and professional driving must be a key focus.

Townsend highlighted positive elements in the revised Driving Licence Directive, such as:

• mandatory training on new in-vehicle safety technologies, and
• greater attention to vulnerable road users like cyclists and pedestrians.

However, she raised serious concerns about allowing solo bus driving from age 21 – or even 18 on restricted routes. Based on crash and brain development data, ETSC is urging Member States not to lower minimum ages, stressing that professional bus driving demands high levels of risk perception and maturity.

On the Driver CPC, Townsend’s message was clear:

Keep it strong.
ETSC opposes any weakening or “simplification” of requirements and instead advocates extending similar standards to other professional drivers, such as van drivers.

Voices from the Field: Ireland, Netherlands, Czech Republic

A first panel brought together three national perspectives, all underlining that training only works when it has real value for drivers and companies.

• William Martin (Ireland), coach operator and former association chair, said drivers were initially skeptical about CPC but now recognise its role in professionalising the job and refreshing knowledge. He called for:
  • more practical, scenario-based modules instead of “too much book work”,
  • greater use of simulators and on-road exercises, and
  • training that reflects real daily stressors: tight schedules, cyclists, narrow urban streets, winter conditions.
• Henk Van Gelderen (Netherlands), Director of the sector’s social fund, confirmed that when CPC is seen as a “tick-box obligation”, many companies still choose the cheapest training option. To counter this, Dutch social partners subsidise high-quality, practical training by 50%, such as on-road coaching and advanced safety modules. The results: higher satisfaction and better learning outcomes.

• Zdenek Pikous (Czech Republic), training institute manager, noted that while quality-oriented companies are growing in number, they are still a minority. He stressed that standards alone are not enough:

  “You cannot teach someone by force. Drivers must be motivated – and employers must see training as an investment, not just a cost.”

A Driver’s Reality Check

Speaking for the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), long-time coach driver Guy Van Hyfte confirmed that drivers do want training—provided it is relevant and engaging.

He pointed to the complexity of new rules (e.g. smart tachographs) and warned that without proper training, both drivers and operators risk serious fines and legal issues. He also supported updating CPC content to:

• avoid repetitive modules,
• integrate topics like health, fitness and stress management, and
• better protect drivers’ wellbeing over long careers.

Technology as an Enabler, Not a Replacement

The second panel turned to digital tools with Nicolas Akarsu (ENPC-Ediser) and Timo Korkalainen (CTRL Reality).

They showed how simulators, virtual reality (VR), extended reality (XR) and AI can:

• safely expose drivers to high-risk scenarios (e.g. emergency braking, vulnerable road users)
• support migrant and non-native speakers with multilingual, visual training
• personalise content and difficulty, using AI to adapt to each learner’s progress.

Both stressed that:

“Simulators are training tools, not substitutes for real driving.”

Used well, they enhance hazard perception, decision-making and confidence, and foster group learning when trainees analyse each other’s simulated drives. Importantly, Korkalainen noted that older drivers adapt surprisingly well to modern tools when they see the practical benefits.

The Commission’s View: Training as a Right

Claire Depré from the European Commission (DG MOVE) closed the speaker line-up by reframing training as a right and a necessity, not just an administrative burden.

She underlined that the CPC Directive is already highly flexible and that many improvements can be made at national level without rewriting EU law—especially in how training is designed, approved and communicated.

Depré encouraged:

• closer dialogue between EU institutions, Member States, social partners and training providers,
• better sharing of good practices (for example via the EU’s Road Safety Exchange), and
• smarter use of the Directive’s provision to update content in line with technical progress, including new technologies and methods.

Final Message: A Learning Culture or No Future

In his closing remarks, EuroTra President Hans Dewit summed up the session:

• Training institutes must deliver quality content, strong trainers and pleasant learning environments: “Fun is learning.”
• Employers must stop choosing training only by price and build a genuine learning culture if they want to remain competitive.
• Drivers should treat CPC days as an opportunity to become safer, less stressed and more confident.
• Authorities should provide a clear, supportive legal framework that encourages innovation and continuous improvement in training.

“In a fast-changing world, lifelong learning is not optional,” Dewit concluded. “Without safe vehicles and well-trained drivers, there is no sustainable growth for our industry.”

Watch the Full Session

This article only scratches the surface of a rich, honest conversation between policymakers, trainers, unions, operators and tech providers.

Watch the full “Driver-Centric Initial and Vocational Training” session from Busworld Europe 2025 to hear all the debates, examples and practical ideas first-hand. 👇