In the past, professional drivers who have not had an epileptic seizure for five years have been allowed to drive heavy vehicles. But in 2017, the Swedish Transport Agency tightened the rules, and individual professional drivers are now affected when the driver's license is revoked.
Anders Persson has driven a truck all his professional life. It's been 24 years since he had an epileptic seizure. Three years ago he ended his medication. But this spring, the Swedish Transport Agency revoked his C-driving license, and now he no longer has the opportunity to apply for this type of work.
- I strive to get my C driver's license back. I can drive a truck, there are dump truck jobs and general cargo jobs that drivers need today.
According to the Swedish Transport Agency's current rules for higher driving license eligibility, a professional driver with an epilepsy diagnosis must have been seizure-free and medicine-free for ten years.
- It is obviously very unhappy when people are affected in this way. The reason for the exemption rule was removed was that the EU Commission made it clear to the Swedish Transport Agency that exemption rules must not exist, explains Åsa Ericson, investigator at the Swedish Transport Agency.