IRU - IRU Academy Seminar on Professional Driver Training and EC/2003/59

Third Success in a Row with the IRU Academy Seminar on Professional Driver Training!

On 29 & 30 September 2005, the IRU Academy, the educational arm of the International Road Transport Union, IRU, staged the IRU Academy Seminar on Professional Driver Training and the Implementation of EC/2003/59. This Seminar was organized in partnership with IRU Turkish Member Associations UND and UATOD, attracting over 160 Delegates from Europe and Asia from more than 30 countries.

The "International Transporters Association", UND, and the "International Anatolia and Thrace Bus Operators Society", UATOD helped organize the third Seminar by the IRU Academy in Istanbul, Turkey. The Seminar, which was spread over two days, attracted over 160 Delegates from as far as India to hear the latest on Professional Driver Training and the Implementation of EC/2003/59.

In his Opening Speech, Mr Bruno Dingemans, the Head of the IRU Academy warned for all to be ready by 10 September 2006, and not to repeat the mistakes which were made with the Introduction of the Digital Tachograph, in which case some EU Member States have introduced, some are now introducing and all must have introduced the Digital Tachograph by 1 January 2006. The message: one clear introduction and enforcement date. Mr Dingemans also criticised the total disinterest from the media for education and the promotion of education, leading to a lack of awareness for people to pursue the required training and continued education for them to better grasp new career and business opportunities resulting from the liberalisation of our industry and the globalisation of the market.

The Seminar was attended by many high-level speakers, including Mr Mathieu Grosch from the European Parliament and Mr Bob Oudshoorn from the Dutch Ministry of Transport, whom both underlined the significance of the IRU Academy in harmonised and qualitative Road Transport Education.

During the Seminar an Inauguration Ceremony took place, where UATOD received its Accreditation Certificate as an IRU Academy Accredited Training Institute (ATI) to conduct CPC Manager training for National and International Passenger Transport.

In addition to the Seminar, all Delegates were given the opportunity to do networking and seek business partners during a Gala Dinner held on the Bosporus on invitation by UND and a lunch held in the Topkapi Palace overlooking Istanbul and the Marmara Sea on invitation by UATOD. Both IRU Member Associations have an IRU Academy Accredited Training Institute (ATI).


	Mathieu Grosch, Member of the Committee Transport and Tourism, European Parliament	Powerpoint Presentation
	Wojciech Sienicki, President, ZMPD, Poland	Powerpoint Presentation
	Bob Oudshoorn, Senior Policy Collaborator, Ministry of Transport, The Netherlands	Powerpoint Presentation
	Martin Chisholm, Manager, Scottish Qualification Authority, United Kingdom	Powerpoint Presentation
	Dominique Corbeel, General Manager to RC Manager European & emerging markets, DHL Worldwide Network, Belgium	Powerpoint Presentation
	Teppo Tenkanen, Head of Training, STC Training Centre, Finland	Powerpoint Presentation
	Murielle Daen, Director, FCBO, Belgium	Powerpoint Presentation
	Rajinder Singh, Chairman of the Institute of Road Safety & Trucknowledgy, India	Powerpoint Presentation
	Mehmet Tanbas, Head of the UND Training Center, UND, Turkey	Powerpoint Presentation
	Dr Peter Littig, Director of Education Strategy and Policy, DEKRA, Germany	Powerpoint Presentation
	Bruno Dingemans, Head, IRU - Academy	Powerpoint Presentation
A Panel Discussion took place at the end of the first day, where Panellists gave their opinion on "Regulation versus Liberalisation and Quality versus Cost" in relation to the soon mandatory Professional Training of Drivers. Many Delegates used this opportunity to question the Panellists From left to right: Mr Daniel Henriksson, SCANIA, Manager, Sweden, Mr Mehmet Erdogan, Member of the Executive Committee of UATOD and TOFED. Director of the Kent Tourism Company, Turkey, Mr Tamer Dincsahin, Secretary General UND and Director of TRIOSPED, Turkey, Mr Bruno Dingemans, Head - IRU Academy, Mr Brian Szukala, General Manager Training Operations of FTA, UK, Mr Yilmaz Kilavuz, Manager of the Professional Competence Division, Turkish Ministry of Transport and Communications, Turkey.

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Saint-Petersburg, venue for the 2006 IRU Academy Seminar, is often referred to as the "Venice of the North".

The Neva River, which flows majestically through this former capital of Russia, makes Saint-Petersburg the "City of 101 islands and 300 bridges". A boat tour will take you past the 9 drawbridges, which are lowered at night and raised in the daytime to allow shipping to pass through the city. The historical city centre, including the Winter Palace and Hermitage Museum, was the first Russian patrimony to be listed on the UNESCO list of world heritage sites. This beautiful city awaits you as does the 2006 IRU Academy Seminar!

Join us on 28 September 2006 for this major event, which will be organised in partnership with IRU Russian Member Association ASMAP. The theme will be Dangerous Goods (ADR) and the 2007 ADR Agreement.

The programme and related information will be available early in 2006. Write to academy@iru.org to be included in our mailing list.