Newslink April

MSA GB Conference 2021
Online, March 21
‘Candidates must be able to get
over any mistakes they make’
Continued from page 31
Fails happen – the DVSA understood
that, as the test was only ever going to
be a snapshot of a candidate’s
performance under pressure – but if they
are fully prepared examiners tend to see
them make a mistake but be able to get
over it.
Jacqui added: “We want people to be
successful but to pass, they need to
attend their test fully prepared to pass,
not just hoping they have a good drive on
the day and get lucky.”
Questions from delegates
Can the ADI certificate be extended as I
haven’t been able to get any use out of
mine for the past year?
JT: No. The length of an ADI certificate
is governed by primary legislation laid
down by Parliament and ad hoc
extensions for any reason are not
allowed. The same was true for refunds
and PDI licences; they could not be
extended either.
However, trainees who had passed
their Part 2 could book a Part 3 test to
take place at a date after their two years
may expire, however the booking must
be made before the expiry date.
Should CPD for ADIs be compulsory?
JS: Parliament decided that making
CPD compulsory was burdensome. The
system preferred to work on ‘more carrot
than stick’. CPD should be about your
personal aspirations.
What will the rules be around test
centres after this latest lockdown ends?
The rules would be the same as
before. All DTCs that had re-opened
before the January lockdown would
re-open and hopefully, more will be
added to the list.
Could ADIs be provided with a copy of
the examiner’s digital marking sheet? Not
every pupil shared this with their ADI.
JC: The issue here was the candidate’s
data security. We would encourage all
ADIs to have a relationship whereby the
pupil automatically shared the marking
sheet. Providing ADIs with a copy was in
the pipeline and a project team was
looking at it, but it was a little way off
yet.
We have been promised more access to
weekend tests. Would they be delivered
at the same price as weekday tests?
JS: Unlikely, as the DVSA has to pay
overtime rates to examiners.
Could more capacity be added into the
testing system by increasing the number
of days some of the smaller outlying
centres operate on?
JS: This is being looked at, taking into
account examiner availability. Anything
to get extra capacity into the system was
being considered.
Could the DVSA do more to educate the
public to trust the ADI when they say a
candidate is not ready for their L-test?
JC: This was one of the reasons why
mock testing was seen by the DVSA as
so important; it allows the ADI to review
the pupil’s progress in an ordered
manner.
What Car? picks out Puma as its Small SUV of the Year
Ford’s superb small SUV, the Puma, has
again proved a top pick for What Car?
after claiming two major awards for
2021, following on from last year’s
overall Car of the Year award.
Puma was named Small SUV of the
Year, while the hotly-anticipated Puma ST
takes Sports SUV of the Year. A third
award, Pick Up of the Year, also went to
Ford, with the Ranger.
Since Puma was launched at the end
of 2019, around 27,000 have been
sold – making the Ford Puma the UK’s
ninth best-selling car last year. The
Puma ST-Line X Vignale joined the
range in 2020, adding premium
styling and enhanced specification,
including exclusive 18” alloys and
Windsor leather seats.
The Puma range was broadened
further last year with the introduction of a
new seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
transmission, contributing to finishing
2020 by being crowned the Scottish Car
of the Year, also.
Learner drivers are also being instructed
in the multi-award-winning Ford Puma,
since it became the first mild hybrid car
offered by long-term Ford partner, the AA
Driving School.
“Nothing ticks all the boxes quite like
the Puma” said Steve Huntingford, Editor,
What Car? “Compact yet practical, sporty
yet efficient, stylish yet affordable… it’s
rare that a car can genuinely combine all
these virtues, but the Ford Puma does.”
New for 2021, the Puma ST introduces
Ford Performance driving dynamics to the
compact SUV segment for the first time in
Europe. Its 1.5-litre EcoBoost engine,
shared with the Fiesta ST, pulls it to
62mph from a standstill in 6.7
seconds and features a unique-insegment
limited slip differential.
To learn more about the Puma, see
this video:
Click here for
the Puma story
32 NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021