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Trainers win U-turn on Friday test hike
Page 10
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THE GOVERNMENT has backed down on plans to increase HGV test fees on Fridays from £76 to £98 after it was accused of blatant profiteering at the expense of trainee drivers.
Last July the Driving Standards Agency proposed introducing a 'premium' Friday rate because it said the existing fee structure has contributed to the high demand for tests on a Friday while there are vacant slots during the rest of the week. But training bodies said that this was unethical when they are already struggling to get recruits into the industry (CM29 July).
Edward Pargeter, director of Leatherhead-based EP Training Services, says it's great news: "At last the government has seen sense. Many companies put drivers on training courses between Monday and Friday with the test at the end of the week so as not to upset work rotas.The increase on a Friday would have put our costs up tremendously."
Subject to parliamentary approval, from this week HGV test fees will increase from £76 to £80 Monday to Friday The current premium rate for Saturday tests will jump from £94 to £98.
Pargeter concludes: "We expected the DSA to put weekday test fees up because it hasn't done so for a couple of years, but we can absorb this cost."