Newslink October 2023

More documents

Recommendations

Info

News Good news on waiting times at last as DVSA makes 150,000 more L-test slots available Significant intervention will see up to a fifth more tests between now and March 2024 Number of Standards Checks reduced and some cancelled as DVSA staff shift duties In a move aimed at bringing down L-test waiting times to more realistic levels, the DVSA has announced plans to offer an additional 150,000 L-tests between the start of October and the end of March 2024. MSA GB has broadly welcomed the plan, saying if the plan works as well as outlined by the DVSA, it could have a major impact on test waiting times and ease some of the pressures currently faced by ADIs and learners. From October-March the DVSA would expect to conduct around 800,000 tests, so the additional slots constitute a 20 per cent uplift in capacity. The current waiting time for a test remains as high as 20 weeks in some test centres, with too many test slots still being hoovered up by ‘test bots’ and reports of learners taking any test they can, in different parts of the country, just to get a slot. It is hoped that the extra tests will dampen down demand and make the test bots’ work unnecessary. The extra tests have been created after the DVSA asked up to 240 full-time ‘exam warrant card holding’ staff to return to frontline testing full-time for the next six months. From as early as next week the agency will be deploying any personnel who hold a warrant card back to driver testing. They will effectively be giving up other roles or projects within the agency in that period. This will, DVSA said, have the potential to generate the additional 150,000 driving test slots. These additional slots will be drip-fed into the booking system in fortnightly batches, starting from October 4. On Monday, October 2 DVSA began adding the extra appointments to the booking service. This will cover test appointments for October 6-November 3. It will take a few days for all the appointments to be added. Then, on October 16, it will start to add appointments for November 4-November 18. Again, it will take a few days for all the appointments to be added. This process will be repeated every two weeks. For example, they’ll add more appointments on October 30, November 13 and so on. DVSA will continue to do this until additional appointments are available up to March 31, 2024. Making the additional tests count The DVSA has offered the following reminder to ADIs and learners as they announced the addition of up to 150,000 L-tests. “It’s really important that we work together to reduce the current high driving test waiting times, by making every L-test count. “We know that many of your pupils have been using the Ready to Pass? campaign resources to help prepare for their test – and found them really useful. “We also know that many ADIs have used the resources on the site to work with your pupils to make sure they only go for their test when they are ready to do so. “The campaign has been designed to support you and reinforce the messages you already give your pupils. You can visit the campaign website for 10 ways that you can help us spread the word.” See https://readytopass.campaign.gov.ukfor more details and resources. The majority of the additional tests will be covered by staff qualified to take L-tests who have currently volunteered to do some additional testing in addition to their normal roles, such as local driving test managers, operational managers, examiners tasked with Standards Checks and policy experts. The DVSA will now be asking them to cover driving tests full-time until March, which will mean they will not do their usual roles. This move will certainly make a difference to the testing on offer but will impact in other areas. The biggest change that ADIs will notice will be on standards checks. The number of slots given over to these will be significantly reduced – and any ADI currently holding a standards check appointment may find that it is cancelled in the next few days. However, those ADIs flagged to be the most risky (ie, those who present a concerning number of poor quality test 06 NEWSLINK n OCTOBER 2023
For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com candidates, or who have failed previous checks) will still be prioritised for a check. The DVSA has confirmed that any third (final) attempt standards checks will still go ahead, and if it is obvious instructors’ standards are falling at a test centre, some checks will still go ahead. If the new system delivers results quickly, the usual standards checks regime may return before March. Part 2 and 3 tests will still go ahead, however, and DVSA said it would continue to monitor driving test performance while prioritising car driving tests. MSA GB and NASP welcomed this news. “With such a high average waiting time for tests currently, the additional slots could have a significant impact on bringing the average wait down and will help alleviate pressure on DVSA, instructors and pupils alike, ” a spokesperson said. “We will continue to meet regularly with DVSA to monitor the impact of this development (and any other measures the agency is undertaking to combat test waiting times) and we will keep members informed on progress.” MSA GB added: “While this sounds like a good solution, it begs the question, why did the DVSA not think of dropping standards checks earlier? We hope it isn’t because there was a lack of trust in ADIs maintaining their tuition standards without the threats of a check to keep them in line. “We will press DVSA to ask candidates to consult with their instructor before accepting any test. Candidates must be reminded that ADIs are in the best position to judge whether a pupil has a chance of passing their test, and to remind them that late notice cancellations can mean they lose their test fee.” One potential problem to this idea is if the warranted examiners struggle with their return to a seven-tests a day environment MSA GB said: “This could be a real shock to some of the older office-based staff, who may not be too enthusiastic about this major change to their working conditions. Their response could mean the 150,000 pledged may not all materialise.” Other organisations working in the driver training and testing sector also welcomed the news. The AA Driving School Managing Director, Camilla Benitz, said: “We warmly welcome this step. The AA Driving School has been campaigning for concerted action to tackle the test backlog since 2021 ,and recently wrote to the Minister on this issue. “Now we hope DVSA can capitalise on this forward momentum in tackling the backlog and consider what other measures might be necessary to continue to push the waiting time back to six weeks. “Many people need their driving licence for work or education; long waits to get a test slot are a barrier few can afford.” The AA Driving School’s latest data on the backlog shows learners faced waiting times above the pre-pandemic average of six weeks at 80% of driving test centres (260 total). To read the full DVSA Direct announcement on this topic follow the link below: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/ UKDVSA/bulletins/372a290 NEWSLINK n OCTOBER 2023 07
Page 1: msagb.com Newslink The Voice of MSA
Page 4 and 5: News 06 150,000 more tests... 12 24
Page 8: News IMTD honours Peter Harvey with
Page 11 and 12: For all the latest news, see www.ms
Page 31 and 32: ADI groups and associations MSA GB
Page 39: For all the latest news, see www.ms

Newslink October 2023

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?