Testing sites closure not an issue, says DSA
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THE DRIVING Standards Agency (DSA) says the closure of its testing sites is not causing a problem for HGV driver candidates, despite only conirming alternative arrangements for less than 15% of them.
The DSA leases 47 of its 68 testing locations from VOSA and has been forced to overhaul its training facilities, as the enforcement agency continues with its part-privatisation, testing transformation programme. A DSA spokeswoman says it has written to all the affected sites that train people to become HGV drivers and asked if they wish to become a “customer site” , but so far it has only secured seven conirmations. However, she adds that it has received 30 expressions of interest from other testing sites. “It’s early stages and at the moment there isn’t a problem,” she says.
Ian Gallagher, Freight Transport Association policy manager for licence and vehicle registrations, warns: “If they start to close some of the test centres, there’s an impact as it would reduce the spaces available for people to take their driving tests.”