Newslink June 2021

Regional News
Time to sort it out, DVSA, before the
current chaos gets even worse
Guy Annan
MSA GB Western
I have to ask, DVSA, what are you
playing at? If they really believe in the
mission statement ‘Safe driving for life’
and are committed to a safer standard of
driving, then they’d better act fast.
The theory tests that expire during
lockdown could have been extended; not
doing so was so unfair. The reason given
is that they are a ‘certificate in law’;
hmmm, isn’t the car MOT certificate a
‘certificate in law’ and that was
extended!
It is also unfair that the DVSA has not
found a way to prioritise those students
who had their practical tests cancelled
during lockdowns; many have ended up
at the back of the queue with a test in
September some four months later!
At the end of the first lockdown those
who were affected were prioritised and
rightly so, but that hasn’t happened since.
I have pupils whose jobs depend on
them passing their test soon and they are
being told to wait until September, while
others who are going to Uni this autumn
and now can’t take it: disgraceful!
One of my instructors has a test date
for a pupil but no time! Perhaps they
should go there for the whole day and
wait to be called!
Taunton is supposed to have seven
examiners with six tests each per day but
often there are only two working.
The DVSA said they would be calling
in ex-examiners and anyone within the
DVSA who still had warrant cards would
help out in the crisis to bring the waiting
list down, so where are they?
One other point: I was talking to an
examiner recently who said the staff
were fed up with the lack of cleanliness
of the cars and the low standard of
driving submitted by the pupils from the
School of Mum and Dad as well as the
no shows; there was also a query as to
the number of candidates from outside
the county.
Test booking apps
Some instructors don’t book driving
tests for their students but I always have.
I find it easier to control my diary and to
regulate when the pupil is ready and to
help them through the stressful time. But
now, with tests at such a premium, it’s
a free for all, and it’s not just book a test
if you can get one it is now bringing it
forward to as soon as possible.
What we need is for instructors only to
book the tests as we are the ones best
placed to say whether they are ready or
not to take it.
You can’t book your own hospital
appointments, you have to be referred by
a doctor. Why should driving tests be
treated any differently?
How is it that if you try and book a
test using the correct routes, nothing is
available, but if you use an app you
could possibly get one within two weeks.
Is this the new norm? Do we all have to
start spending money on each test to
book one now?
One service charges £16.99 to find
you an earlier test or your money back.
Now that’s a nice little earner for
someone. Apparently on its website it
says that they search for driving test
cancellations 24 hours a day and take
them away from the public pool for a
period of time, giving you exclusive
access. Well, this just isn’t right; the
computer system belongs to the DVSA.
Surely they can stop or at least delay this
from happening?
The DVSA is supposed to support us,
God knows they come down hard on us
if they think we’re not doing the job right.
Where is their help now and why do they
continue to allow these companies to use
priority software that lets them check the
DVSA booking system?
When I book a test on the official site it
says it will notify me if an earlier date
comes available; well, it never has yet.
As a result we are losing out.
This is affecting our business and it
seems like the DVSA couldn’t care less
because at the end of the day, they’ll get
their money anyway.
An instructor friend of mine was called
by a man in London who wanted lessons
in Taunton so he could be ‘test route
ready’ for his test on May 22.
During the call my friend logged on to
the DVSA booking site and it said that
there were NO tests available and yet
this chap could book it on his app.
I’ve been told off the record that the
app issue has been raised at the DVSA
as it is being linked to low pass rates.
It appears that if you’re on an app you
can get a test; if not, forget it.
Perhaps the issue isn’t with the DVSA
or the apps but with the instructors who
will take these last-minute people to test.
If the instructors all stopped doing it the
pupil would be forced to do it in their
own car. It wouldn’t be long before the
DVSA say that the test can only be done
in a dual-controlled car.
Why can’t the DVSA just allow all
instructors to book tests through the
business booking site? After all, that’s
what it’s for. I think that would solve the
whole mess of tests being wasted.
Maybe a reply from Mark Winn about
his concerns over this issue would be
appropriate.
Ever wondered what the driver identification marker at the
side of the motorways means?
‘A’ On the sign means Away from the start of the
motorway.
‘B’ Means Back towards the start of the
motorway.
‘J’ Exit from ‘A’ carriageway
‘K’ Access to an ‘A’ carriageway
‘L’ Exit from a ‘B’ carriageway
‘M’ Access to a ‘B’ carriageway
Letters ‘C’ and ‘D’ are for service roads adjacent to the
main carriageway eg, for depot access.
The reason this terminology is used within the Traffic
Officer Service is to ensure there is a common
language across the strategic road network, to
identify locations for attending incidents while
also requesting additional resources such as
emergency services, service providers and
recovery operators, to ensure efficient incident
attendance and clearance.
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NEWSLINK n JUNE 2021