DSA Not To Run Brewery Celebration Events - Official

Well, we're just weeks away from the implementation of the new 2008 bike test, featuring off-road test exercises on new DSA MPTCs (Multi Purpose Test Centre).

It's worth looking at the timetable involved . . .

Info here

1. In October 2000, the European Commission brought into force new standards for theory and practical driving tests. In January 2001, DSA issued a Discussion Paper which described the new requirements, and sought views on those matters where there was flexibility in implementation. In August 2002, the Agency issued a Report that summarised consultees’ responses and explained the decisions that Ministers had reached.

2. The practical test for learner motorcyclists in Great Britain will need to contain extra, and more demanding, special manoeuvres. This Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) is attached to a Consultation Paper seeking views on alternative service delivery options for testing these special manoeuvres. The RIA contains an initial assessment of the costs, including the compliance costs, and will be developed in the light of any comments received in response to the Consultation Paper. 3. The requirements regarding the special manoeuvres result from European legislation that is already in force. That legislation prescribes what the test must contain, but leaves Member States with some flexibility concerning how tests are organised. The European legislation allows individual Member States until 11 October 2005 to adopt this aspect of the new standards.

So far so good . . .

10. The economic valuations of the 2001 motorcycling casualties are therefore: killed £ 661,608,960

Eek! That's a lot of £££ - so there ought to be plenty in the pot to buy new facilities, and quickly.

As a matter of interest, what are the problems for the public if DSA can't get it organised by 2005?

Well, as we found, there's an extension until 2008.

But there will still be repurcussions - after all, we're talking intructor employment and rider safety.

13. When assessing the risk and costs of implementing a change to regulation, it is usual to consider a "do nothing" option13. This is not possible in this case. GB, like all Member States, is obliged to implement this European Commission Directive. Failure to do so would result in infraction proceedings being taken by the Commission.

That's the only repurcussion?

What about the 'stakeholders' we here about so often?

Riding instructors who can't book tests because there aren't enough test centres.

What about learners? They'll have to pay to travel the extra - sometimes considerable - distances to get to the test centres, and that will involve the ride, perhaps along busy roads, in poor weather, when the candidate is already nervous about the test.

And marking; I still haven't seen anything from DSA about how the new test is marked - wouldn't that have been useful?

A fiasco.



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