DVSA Not Keeping up with Driving Tests

If you were planning to take your HGV, car, or trailer driving test before winter weather sets in, you might have to adjust your plans. The DVSA has never been all that reliable in terms of scheduling driving tests in the past. But since April (2015), when the agency merged with VOSA, things have only become worse with the loss of 39 employees.

Opponents of the merger say the problems at the DVSA are multifaceted. First, budget cuts have resulted in fewer hires and stagnant wages. Second, the bureaucracy created by combining the two agencies is said to have created an environment in which working is no longer enjoyable. Opponents say the lengthening of wait times for a driver’s test from 6 weeks to 6.2 weeks is evidence that the current government is incapable of serving drivers properly.

In their defence, the DVSA reminds drivers that they employ 4,600 individuals of which they have lost only 39 since the April merger. And while some of the resigning employees left due to dissatisfaction, others left because of retirement. Only two were test examiners. The DVSA says that such a small turnover rate is not indicative of its ability to do the job with which they have been tasked. Officials from the agencies say the departure of the two examiners has not had a drastic effect on wait times.

Along those same lines, the agency has not fulfilled its commitment to decreasing wait times for those needing to take the HGV test. They had promised to do so earlier this year in an effort to help alleviate the ongoing HGV driver shortage. Not filling that commitment may not have a huge impact on the industry as compared to conditions prior to the pledge being made, but it certainly does not help the industry recruit and train new drivers quickly.

Taking Your HGV Test

Whether you are taking your HGV, car, or trailer driving test, the process is nearly identical. Tests are booked online after appropriate training has been completed. On the day of the test, the driver goes to a testing facility where he or she undergoes an examination with a certified tester. In the case of HGV testing, it is a two-part exam that takes a total of about two hours to complete.

The car test is decidedly less involved for obvious reasons. As for the trailer driving test, there are also two parts to consider. The first part tests the driver’s physical skills by putting him or her through a series of manoeuvres that will involve cornering, braking, reversing, and accelerating. The driver must then demonstrate practical knowledge by completing five tasks presented by the examiner. For example, the driver may have to demonstrate how to do a walkaround check.

When you train with us to become an HGV driver, we book your tests for you according to how quickly you progress through our programme. We make training and testing as easy as possible for our students.

Sources:

1. Mirror – http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/britain-faces-driving-test-timebomb-4386008