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Meeting last week in Suresnes, the members of the CNPA ESR steering committee – which must announce a name change in the coming days – reflected on future developments in the driver education sector. Its vice-president Lorenzo LEFEBVRE granted us an interview in which he details the avenues of work and the main orientations on which the majority professional organization will work in 2022. In particular, on the concept of “responsible driving school” and its concrete translation for driving schools and their students.
[PermisMag] Hello Lorenzo, can you tell us more about this “responsible driving school” concept that you have been working on?
[Lorenzo Lefebvre] The “responsible driving school” is above all a driving school which must be inclusive and address everyone. We want to better support two categories of learners: seniors and people with specific needs, whether they have visible or invisible disabilities (dyslexia, dyspraxia, people with deafness, etc.). These people do not yet have enough access to training… or to exams.
A few months ago, at the Lille Congress, the CNPA called on driving schools to “make their revolution”. Do you think the revolution is over? Has the hardest part been done?
Local driving schools are the reference for the general public. Contrary to what some have tried to make believe, they are and remain essential!
This status gives them responsibilities. Driving schools must think about ways to further improve the training they provide and how to accommodate the greatest number of people, regardless of their difficulties (age, disability or lack of financial means).
Maintaining mobility for seniors is a great national cause. The local driving school is there for that! We are not talking about simple improvement or refresher lessons… Professionals in driving instruction must be able to help seniors so that they can continue to drive safely. The driving school knows how to do tailor-made, its teachers know the surroundings, they can make a diagnosis and provide personalized advice.
This subject is central and, in 2022, the CNPA will carry out a national communication campaign on the training of seniors in relation to insurers. Many local driving schools already accompany this elderly public, but the general public does not know enough about it…
Far from being anecdotal, this market is larger than that of young drivers. Driving schools must not limit themselves to initial training… they must go further and train the driver throughout his life.
When we talk about “responsible” in the media, we often think of social and environmental responsibility. Is a responsible driving school a “green driving school”?
Yes of course ! There are many ways to reduce our environmental impact.
The CNPA has been thinking for several months about the greening of driving school fleets. We worked with Bpifrance on the establishment of loans for the purchase of electric vehicles. We are awaiting official announcements but the device is in place and their implementation is imminent. These loans can go up to €75,000 per structure. They should allow the purchase of two electric cars. The first repayments will begin 2 years later. This system was negotiated and obtained by the CNPA for all driving schools.
This is a loan that will have to be repaid, but there are other ways to improve funding (regional and departmental aid in particular). The financial risk is limited.
A similar system will be set up by Bpifrance for the financing of driving simulators. In the case of simulators, the loan will be limited to €50,000, with repayments starting only after one year.
Electric cars, simulators… driving schools have also gone digital.
Absolutely, if we look back over 5-6 years, we realize that the path that has been traveled is enormous. The word “revolution” is not an exaggeration. New management software is coming, more and more driving schools have a website, simulators are more and more efficient, tracking sheets are digital, video courses have been set up in a few weeks for confinement… The profession has decided to transform itself. What profession has done so much? There are not a lot…
Did the platforms trigger this desire? Perhaps, but it is clear that driving schools have been able to adapt and have changed their way of working. They have adapted their pedagogy to digital and it’s not over. There will still be upheavals, we know that, but I am confident. Driving schools will be able to adapt!
We cannot avoid mentioning the question of the “cost of the driving licence”. At the CNPA, you have given a lot of thought to the issue of funding.
Funding is a key subject for access to mobility. Today we realize that the driving license costs more today for those who have the least means and this, in particular because they are obliged to do split training. It’s not normal ! Mobility is a universal right – a primary need – and everyone should have the right to drive regardless of their situation.
A young person without money must have solutions. People who need it need to be directed to help. The budgets are there but they are badly used. We need to have a discussion with the public authorities.
For the CNPA, there are two solutions that would solve the problem of access to driving licenses:
- The establishment of departmental commissions responsible for granting aid. In each town hall, local mission, etc., we want a single document to be made available to apply for funding. The requests would then pass before this commission which will decide and grant aid to the people most in difficulty.
- For those with average incomes, we want the portability of the CPF. This is an idea that has been around for a long time. There is a blockage at the level of the Ministry of Labor that we are trying to remove. If portability in the proper sense is not possible, one could imagine other devices, such as an “advance on CPF”… thus, the sums financed would be deducted from the sums that the young person will accumulate when entering the labor market. Here again the money is there, it could be used… We are talking here about intergenerational solidarity. The question we must ask ourselves is: do we want to show solidarity with young people? »
It is a real reflection to have. In addition, these funded training courses must lead to obtaining a driving licence. There must be a consideration, the “responsible driving school” must accompany their students to the end, until they obtain the permit.
2022 is a presidential election year, do you have a message for the candidates?
Yes, we ask applicants to talk about the driver’s license. As I said earlier, mobility is a primary need for 80% of the French population. We often talk about sending young doctors to medical deserts, so that they can practice in rural areas, even if they have a permit. This is obviously just one example among many.
We hope and will ensure that the profession retains this territorial network, that we continue to have a driving school every 2.8 municipalities. We are very proud of this figure and there are few businesses that can say the same!
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