Newslink March 2021

News
Examiner recruitment drive and flexibility
enforced as DVSA targets waiting times
The DVSA has made its first move in a
bid to cut the number of people waiting
for an L-test by announcing a new
recruitment programme for driving
examiners.
In a statement released at the start of
February the agency said the suspension
of L-testing as a result of the Covid-19
pandemic had led to “exceptionally high
demand for driving tests.”
Furthermore, “the measures put in
place to protect candidates and staff from
Covid-19 have limited the number of
available tests outside of lockdowns,
including reducing the number of tests our
examiners carry out per day.”
To help increase the number of
available tests, the DVSA said it was:
• offering more tests outside of normal
working hours, including weekend and
bank holidays.
• ensuring DVSA staff who are qualified
to perform driving tests are doing so, such
as senior managers and policy staff.
But these alone will not reduce the
backlog as quickly as is required.
Therefore, on February 10 the DVSA
launched a national recruitment campaign
for new driving examiners, with posts in
England, Scotland and Wales.
No numbers were released as to how
many examiners were to be recruited.
A spokesman for the DVSA added: “The
recruitment of new examiners is one of
the actions we are taking to reduce the
backlog caused by the pandemic.
“We will also work with the driver and
rider training associations on our plan to
reduce waiting times. We will then share
our plan as soon as we can, as we’d like
your feedback on our proposals. This will
also be an opportunity for you to share
any of your ideas with us.”
The agency asked instructors to play
their part in reducing driving test waiting
times. It acknowledged that demand
would remain high and “it will take time
to get our services back to normal.” But in
the meantime, “it is vital that your pupils
are test-ready when rearranging their
tests, as tests could be at short notice.
“On average, fewer than 50 per cent of
learners pass their driving test and there
could be long waiting times for a retest –
your pupils should take their test only
when they are confident they can pass.”
Tests for all candidates who have been
affected by the current restrictions have
now been rearranged. If the new time and
date is not suitable, you can change the
test time and date at: https://www.gov.uk/
change-driving-test
MSA GB national chairman Peter
Harvey said the recruitment drive was
welcomed but the number of new
examiners rumoured to be added to the
roster would not see waiting times
reduced quickly. “It also seems difficult to
see how ADIs can ensure candidates are
‘test-ready’ when they haven’t had chance
to practise or fine-tune their skills.
“That’s why it is imperative that ADIs
are allowed back to work some time
before testing resumes, as has been
suggested will happen.”
Who are you calling smart?
Colin Lilly
Editor, MSA Newslink
There has been a resurgence recently in
calls to scrap so-called smart motorways.
The Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps,
described the name as a misnomer.
However, it was not a term generated by
Government but by the public and media.
Mr Shapps said that reversing work on
smart motorways was not an option as it
would mean acquiring land the equal of
700 Wembley football pitches, destroying
areas of Green Belt and people’s homes.
He did, however, announce that the
deadline for installation of Stopped
Vehicle Technology (SVD) throughout the
network would be brought forward to the
end of 2022. The SVD systems are
designed to detect a stopped vehicle in a
live lane within 20 seconds, employing
radar units monitoring motorway traffic in
both directions.
He also gave instructions for the work
to establish emergency areas to be no
more than three-quarters of a mile apart
to be speeded up, and tasked Highways
England to achieve this.
During the last five years 44 people
have died on smart motorways. This is at
a lower rate than the remainder of the
network, but incidents tend to attract
more attention and relatives calling for
changes or reversal of the projects. A
Coroner has called for the prosecution of
Highways England.
It would appear the Secretary of State
is determined to carry on with the project
but with a tighter rein on safety.
In the meantime, MPs have launched
their own inquiry, with the Transport
Committee looking at public confidence
into their use and the impact on
congestion.
A Department for Transport evidence
review concluded that “in most ways,
smart motorways are as safe as, or safer
than, conventional motorways”, but made
pledges to improve their safety.
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NEWSLINK n MARCH 2021