Car drivers taking hgv test to cut wait
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THE WAITING list for car driving tests is so long that some people are taking the hgv test instead to take advantage of the shorter waiting period.
Having obtained their hgv licence (of any class except automatics) they are permitted to drive a car without taking another test.
This extreme measure is costly but does give the would-be driver a quick way to his licence. The national average waiting period for a car test is nearly 23 weeks. But it varies from area to area and in London and the Home Counties the average is 29 weeks or seven months. Some parts of Scotland also have a similarly long waiting list.
In comparison, hgv tests are generally available within 4-6 weeks, offering a car test applicant a time saving of six months in some areas.
The cost of this method makes it feasible only for those who need their car licence in a hurry for their job or something of similar importance.
A three-week full-time hgv driving course complete with test fee costs £500 to £600, irrespective of which class one applies for. This compares with a course of car driving lessons which for most people will not exceed £100. The hgv test fee itself is £30.
The Department of Transport is not concerned about the use of the hgv test to avoid the car test waiting list. A spokesman said that what he considered a minute number of people doing this would not mean the hgv test system was being abused.
A more practical, and certainly less expensive, way of obtaining a car licence is to take the car test in an area where the waiting list is shorter.
The Department of Transport reports that the best area is the Lake District, where the delay for the car test is currently around just eight to ten weeks.