Newslink May

News
The great return: ADIs get back to work
ADIs across Great Britain have
expressed their delight at returning to
work after Covid restrictions on driving
lessons and testing were relaxed in line
with the government’s routemap for
exiting lockdown.
England and Wales saw ADIs back on
the road from April 12, with Scotland
following a fortnight later. The first tests
were held on April 26, and the DVSA
said their resumption had gone smoothly.
It has pledged to make the reduction in
test waiting times a priority – but with
examiners continuing to conduct a
reduced number of tests each day as part
of agreed Covid protocols, it was unlikely
waiting times would fall drastically soon.
Getting back on the road felt like a
milestone for many members. MSA GB
National Chairman Peter Harvey admitted
to being “a bit apprehensive” on his
return, despite his vast experience.
After his first full week back he told
Newslink: “Well, that’s my first full week
back done, but I must be honest, weirdly,
I was a bit apprehensive. In the run up to
getting pupil reports sorted I realised that
it had been a full 10 months out of the
last 12 that we had not been able to
teach in Scotland.”
However, his apprehension “was ill
founded; all my pupils were very keen to
get back to learning, and for most of
them the muscle memory
worked just fine. Overall,
it’s great to be back.”
Other MSA GB
members expressed
similar sentiments;
Guy Annan from MSA
GB Western said it
was “great to be back
and earning money
again. Those of us for
whom driving instruction
is how we make our living
know it’s vital we got back.”
One of Russell
Jones’ first passes
on return,
22-year-old Darcy
He said local demand was unprecedented:
“We have always been in demand
but never to this extent. Pupils are trying
to find a driving school that has spaces
– a couple of people I’ve had to say no to
have even gone as far as thanking me
just for picking up the phone!”
Terry Pearce, MSA GB West Midlands,
said that he wished his pupils “Happy
New Year” on seeing them for the first
time since Christmas. He was annoyed,
however, to see some instructors still not
wearing face masks – though their pupils
were. “I find it hypocritical that the rules
do not force ADIs and learners, who are
shoulder to shoulder, to do so.
MSA GB East Midlands’ Russell Jones
said he was delighted to “get back to
normal” – and pleased he did not indulge
in “silly discounts” at any stage of the
times we were able to work.
He also said it was great that
customers “don’t quibble about paying for
lessons. Nice to be fully booked with
work for the forseeable future... from
very pleasant learners who are prepared
to be patient about the inordinate waiting
time for driving tests.”
His only disappointment was the
DVSA’s reluctance to bring in new
examiners “a year ago. What were the
‘head honchos’ thinking about when it
was blatantly obvious to the world
that hundreds of thousands of
people would be queueing
up for driving tests?”
He also said ADIs
should be brave and
raise their prices.
“The reluctance of
ADIs to be the most
expensive in their
region is cowardice.
Purchase some high
quality ADI training and
fortunes could change
overnight.”
REMINDER: WHAT
TO EXPECT ON TEST
n All examiners will be masked
throughout the test.
n Waiting rooms are for ADIs
only. Please do not arrive
more than five minutes before
the test time.
n You must clean the inside of
your car before your test. This
means tidying any unnecessary
items away from the dashboard,
footwells, door pockets, cup
holders and seats, and wiping
down the dashboard and car
controls. The examiner will do an
additional clean of some surfaces.
n The car you use for your test
must have at least one window
open on each side throughout
the test. Candidates must wear
appropriate clothing for the test,
including a face covering.
n ADIs will not be able to
accompany the L-test. However,
they are encouraged to attend
the post-test debrief, which will
take place outside the car. Please
remember to social distance if
attending this.
WAITING ROOMS
All 222 waiting rooms that were
open before the latest
lockdown should reopen, plus
another 27 around the country.
See link below for list of all DTCs
with open waiting rooms.
Click here for
the full story
Key information
Follow the links for the latest up-to-date news on
NASP updated
guidance here
(click button right)
On theory tests
(click button right)
L- tests
(click button right)
Instructor guidance
(click button right)
The latest Standard Operating Procedures
can be found on the NASP website for:
Driving Test; Vocational Test; Motorcycle
Test; ADI Part 2 Test; ADI Part 3 Test and
Standards Checks
They are changing all the time.
Make sure you know the
latest rules by clicking
the panel right
Check the
rules
06
NEWSLINK n MAY 2021