Angus driving instructors have hit out at the DSA in a protest against the closure of two of the region’s test centres.
The centres at Arbroath and Forfar have been deemed no longer cost effective and are to close on March 18, with all students redirected to a new centre in Dundee.
A group of around 15 instructors gathered outside the Arbroath unit yesterday to voice their disgust at the lack of communication from the agency and the way the closure announcement had been handled.
Most driving schools in the region will be forced to make all lessons two hours to allow time to get to and from Dundee in a session.
Arbroath instructor Lez Wells said the move would be likely to see his costs rise by 15 to 20% and estimated that students may see a 30 to 40% rise in the total cost of their tuition.
He added, “The letter we got from the DSA was all about the new test centre in Dundee and at the foot of the page was just a small sentence saying Forfar and Arbroath test centres are to close. There has been absolutely no consultation, just that brief note.”
Some instructors received their letter on December 31 while others were not notified until this week. Around 20 local driving instructors organised a meeting at the Rosely Hotel on Tuesday night to discuss how to fight the closure.
The group have contacted the Motor Schools Association, the Driving Instructors Association, local councillors, MPs and MSPs to seek help.
The Arbroath centre is open three days a week and does seven tests on each day at a cost of £62 per student. Many tests that have been booked will have to be reassigned to Dundee and the test date may have to be changed.
Mr Wells said the move went against the DSA’s charter for excellence and would hit both instructors and their students in the pocket.Written petitionThe Angus instructors are in the process of putting together a written petition to go around customers, local schools and Angus College, with online petitions to be set up on social networking sites and at the 10 Downing Street website.
The DSA claims that Forfar and Arbroath are simply outstations of the test centre in Dundee and as they are situated within a 30-mile radius of the city, seeking the opinions of those affected is unnecessary.
Both are being closed because they have been deemed no longer cost effective to retain.
June Clarke of U Learn driving school said the Arbroath test centre is always booked up and students often have to wait 10 to 12 weeks for a date to become available.
She added, “The DSA has taken this decision without asking any of the instructors in the area how they feel about it. At a time of economic recession people are not going to be able to afford to pay out extra money for extended lessons.
“I think the way it has been handled is absolutely disgusting.”
Arbroath West and Letham representative David Fairweather was one of the elected members invited to the private meeting on Tuesday and said he expected the opposition to the plans to be “active.”
He also spoke of his outrage at the Driving Standards Agency’s failure to launch a consultation process on the plans.
Councillor Fairweather added, “I think it’s a total disgrace that neither the local authority nor the driving instructors have been consulted on this. We had quite a long meeting with a very good turnout and we will be trying to save both the test centres in Forfar and Arbroath.
“All instructors will have copies of a petition and they will be trying to get as many signatures as possible. We will also be writing to Keith Brown, the new transport minister.”
Image used under Creative Commons licence courtesy of Flickr user tgraham.