14/02/2021
I wish the news was more positive than this. I’m sure it will be soon, however.
Today we were told that now over 15m people (approximately 25% or 1/4 of the UK population) have now had at least their 1st jab of the COVID vaccine, and this takes us one step closer to life becoming more normal again.
The PM, Boris Johnson, has said he will announce his roadmap for the next steps on 22nd February, one week tomorrow, and this is expected to begin with schools restarting on 8th March, then next to reopen non-essential shops and then finally social settings. We will restart driving lessons somewhere in amongst the second and third stage.
Meanwhile I have the following update from DVSA. I want you to know that if you see anyone taking driving lessons at the moment, they are probably acting illegally and, should anything happen during the lesson, they will not be insured.
Message received 14 Feb 2021, at 16:46
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency wrote:
FROM DVSA
Continuing national lockdown in England
10-02-2021
Continuing national lockdown in England
Further to guidance from government we are cancelling practical and theory tests in England up to and including 24 February 2021.
Mobile emergency worker service tests booked will take place as arranged.
You should continue to follow Government guidance to stay at home except for essential reasons.
You can read more about the lockdown measures on GOV.UK
Driving lessons
Driving lessons, must not take place until the restrictions are lifted. This includes training for ADI part 2 and 3 tests and standards checks.
Driving lessons for your pupils with a confirmed mobile emergency worker test booking can continue.
Driving tests
All driving tests are suspended in England while the restrictions are in place. This includes ADI part 2 and 3 tests and standards checks.
This does not include mobile emergency worker service tests booked which will take place as arranged.
We'll email candidates affected by this to let them know we will reschedule their test.
If you have booked a test for any of your pupils, you will receive an email to let you know it will be rescheduled to a new time and date. You will need to contact your pupil to let them know.
We’ll send you an email with the new time and date as soon as possible; please ask your pupils to be patient.
If the new time and date is not suitable for you or your pupil, you can choose a different time and date on GOV.UK. You will need your pupil’s driving licence number to do this. Your pupil does not need to pay again to do this.
Theory test
All theory tests will be suspended until the restrictions are lifted.
We will email anyone who has booked a test and is affected by this to let them know their theory test is on hold and that they will need to reschedule it by visiting https://www.gov.uk/change-theory-test.
If you booked your pupil’s theory test you will need to log into the booking system and rearrange their test for a new date and time.
This does not include mobile emergency worker service theory tests booked which will take place as arranged.
More information
You can find what financial support is available to you on GOV.UK.
Check GOV.UK for the latest about:
theory tests
driving tests
instructor guidance
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Increasing the number of car driving tests
10-02-21
Increasing the number of car driving tests
The suspension of testing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to exceptionally high demand for driving tests.
Test availability
The measures we put in place to protect our customers and staff from COVID-19 have limited the number of available tests.
This includes reducing the number of tests our examiners carry out per day.
To help increase the number of available tests, DVSA is already:
offering more tests outside of normal working hours, including weekend and bank holidays.
ensuring all DVSA staff who are qualified to perform driving tests are doing so, such as senior managers and policy staff.
But this alone will not reduce the backlog as quickly as we want.
Recruiting more examiners
Today (Wednesday 10 February) DVSA is launching a national recruitment campaign for new driving examiners.
There are posts based in England, Scotland and Wales.
The closing date for applications is Monday 1 March 2021 at midnight.
Find out more about the role and how to apply on civil service jobs.
DVSA plan to reduce waiting times
The recruitment of new examiners is one of the actions DVSA will take to reduce the backlog caused by the pandemic.
We will also consult and work with the driver and rider training associations on our proposed plan to reduce waiting times. We will then share our plan with you as soon as we can, as we’d like your thoughts and feedback on our proposals. This will also be an opportunity for you to share any of your ideas with us.
As professional driver and rider trainers you play a vital role and your views are really important to us.
How to reduce waiting times
We also need support from you, your pupils and our examiners to help us reduce driving test waiting times.
Driving tests will continue to be in high demand as a result of the pandemic and the suspension of testing. It will take time to get our services back to normal. We thank you and your pupils for your understanding, support and patience.
We have re-arranged tests for all candidates who have been affected by the current restrictions to the first available date. If the new time and date is not suitable, you can change the test time and date at: https://www.gov.uk/change-driving-test
It is vital that your pupils are test-ready when rearranging their tests, as tests could be at short notice.
On average, fewer than 50% of learners pass their driving test and there could be long waiting times for a retest – your pupils should take their test only when they are confident they can pass.
More information
Check GOV.UK for the latest about:
theory tests
driving tests
instructor guidance
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Use this Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) service to change your driving test if you cannot go to your test, or change which test centre you take your test at.
