1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152 
Wean motet
Page 65
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Please raise a voice of protest in CM against the DTp's proposal to increase the hgv driving test fee from £24 to £33.50. It is only two years since the iniquitous rise from £8 to £24 was imposed with the same excuse that the test system should be self-supporting.
Its aim of relieving the taxpayer of the cost of the test is laudable, but surely misguided. Does anyone expect that the costs of the traffic examiners should be met from the fines imposed?
Surely the principal objective of the hgv test was to improve the standard of lorry driving with road safety in mind.
It is said we have the first lorry driver testing service in Europe and I do not doubt it. Certainly our lorry drivers have reached the enviable state of having less accidents per mile run than any other group of road users in the UK.
Surely the accident cost reduction achieved here can be set against the national road safety costs and not the individual testee's pocket.
Could it be that the DTp imagines all trainees can claim their test fees from their employers? Hardly so, I think. We have trained some 4,500 drivers in the last five years and in 1975 55 per cent of all tests through our school were privately paid for. In 1976 60 per cent of the people we trained also paid their own fees.
Only the DTp has the national figures, but I am sure a little research will prove that a very high proportion of testees are paying their own fees. These are the people who will feel the proposed rise most.
Such people cannot even claim against the revenue for tax relief, and if they have committed the grievous sin of trying to help themselves, by paying for a private course of training while unemployed, our grateful Government also stops their benefit payments.
If cost rises must be met, how about some further managment and productivity action? The test lasts less than two hours in practice, and hardly justifies £16 plus per hour with the testee providing the vehicle.
Without much alteration