Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
i missed this yesterday. I'm really not sure about this. i've never had the sort of job where i'm directly involved in recruitment, training or management of bus drivers, but...
I can find a few references that say that dyspraxia does not need to be notified to DVLA in respect of car driving licence, and can't find any reference to it for vocational licences (PCV, LGV)
it's a while since i did my PCV medical, but don't specifically remember any test for co-ordination as such.
The medical requirements for vocational licences are higher than for car licences, and a medical is part of the process of getting a provisional vocational licence - you also then have to do another medical and renew every 5 years after you turn 45, and every year after 65. it would be unwise to answer questions dishonestly if the doctor asks, but if doctor doesn't ask about something, then i'm not sure you have to volunteer that information.
it depends if you'd be more comfortable disclosing something that might (or might not) be a problem at an early stage, or keeping quiet and hoping it's not a problem - in an ideal world, the job application process would be as much about making sure the job / employer is right for the employee as vice versa, but most of us can't afford to do that.
the disability discrimination bits of equality law do still apply to bus driving jobs, although if someone doesn't meet the DVLA medical standards, then there's not a lot a bus operator can do about it, and there's a limit to how 'reasonable' any adjustments can be.
For example, I have worked for a bus operator where the depot and town centre bus station were a 10-ish minute walk apart, but there was a small rota for about half a dozen drivers who could not, for medical reasons, do that walk, so their duties didn't involve that walk. But it would probably not be considered 'reasonable' (in legal terms) for a bus operator to adapt much of their fleet to accommodate a driver who could not use conventional pedal controls.
traditionally, bus operators would make an effort to find alternative jobs for established drivers who became unfit for driving work, but the number of 'alternative' jobs has shrunk over the years. (from what i can remember, the 'restricted' rota i mentioned above was for established drivers who had developed medical conditions, rather than for new hires.)
I don't know a lot about dyspraxia, again i'm aware that some operators have a few drivers who are on a regular duty or short rota so they don't have to learn all the routes at that depot where that would be an issue, although other drivers can see this as a 'privilege' / 'special treatment' - it can involve a trade off like doing a route that's not all that popular, or regularly working saturdays.
The shortage of drivers does mean that at least some operators are making more effort to be flexible and consider their drivers' needs / choices rather than the more traditional approach, although there's a limit to how far this can go (bus driving is never going to be a 9-5 monday to friday job.)
in equality law, an employer can only be expected to make reasonable adjustments if the employee has disclosed a disability / medical condition to them. although it's understandable that people may be reluctant to disclose something because they need a job.
