THIS MIGHT TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO READ, BUT THIS IS GREAT NEWS!
Parliamentary Committee backs MAG concerns over DSA
‘It will take a long time and much resource to mend what has been
broken, but the Government and DSA now need to take urgent action…’
That is one of the less damning conclusions reached by a watchdog
committee of MPs investigating the catastrophic implementation of the
new test.
In its 145 page report on the ‘bungled’ implementation of the new bike
test, The House of Commons Transport Select Committee quotes evidence
submitted by MAG no less than seven times. MAG was by no means a lone
voice, riding instructors, motorcycle businesses, test candidates and
experienced riders alike responded in large numbers. The MPs’ said that
the evidence they received was ‘predominantly critical’ of the new test
and the way DSA implemented it and, for the most part, they agreed with
those criticisms.
The official report reveals that the British Government did not vote in
favour of the new rules when they were debated in Brussels, because it
did not believe any benefits would justify the cost. But it was the UK
Government itself that then ‘failed to apply common sense and work
flexibly’, instead setting-off a series of events that increased the
cost and complexity of the new test beyond anything Europe required. The
Committee finds the resulting test arrangements to be ‘both inconvenient
and confusing for candidates’.
First, the Government failed to request that UK riders be tested at the
UK urban speed limit, instead of the higher European norm. The Committee
labels this ‘bizarre’, saying it is ‘unacceptable’ that the Minister
could not offer a satisfactory explanation for limiting the options
available to future Governments in this way.
Second, the Government allowed DSA to embark on a multi-million pound
building spree which other countries have managed to avoid. Replacing
hundreds of existing test centres with just a few dozen super centres
‘caused significant cost and inconvenience to test candidates and
trainers, with little apparent gain’ say the MPs.
Agreeing with MAG’s long held position, the Committee describes the
justification for these Multi Purpose Test Centres as ‘weak’ and the
implementation ‘inept’. DSA’s failure to provide more than 44 of the 66
MPTCs they promised meant they had to modify the test so it could be
taken on smaller sites. The Committee says this ‘undermined the case for
MPTCs in the first place’ and that it had ‘severely damaged the trust of
the motorcycling community in the DSA’, as did the DSA’s failure to
rectify other problems…‘Such experiences damage trust and mutual
respect, and the DSA cannot afford to let the current situation run for
long.’
The MPs say the DSA should amend the test ‘as soon as possible’ because
it prevents riders from adapting to weather, road and other conditions
that affect stopping distances. MAG told the DSA this was needed during
the first week of the new test, but DSA has done little more than sit it
on its corporate hands and hope for the best.
MAG also raised concerns that the injury caused by reducing the number
of test centres was compounded by the insult of hiking the test price by
50% compared to the old test. The Transport Committee agrees that there
must now be an emphasis on customer convenience and value for money
MAG has made strong representations over many months on these issues,
not only to the Committee but directly to Ministers and DSA senior
management. While DSA refused to accept the validity of our concerns
(their approach is described in the report as ‘dogmatic’), MAG’s
continued efforts are vindicated by the Committee refusing to accept
their blandishments as easily as Ministers have.
Other issues raised by MAG are also supported by the MPs:
Given that the majority of motorcycle crashes involve the actions of
another road user, MAG has been pushing for Government policy on
motorcycle safety to focus more in this area. Again, the Committee has
followed that lead, saying ‘The development of better awareness of
motorcyclists among other road users is crucial to the improvement of
motorcycle safety.’
The Department for Transport must start to collect adequate data about
rider training and testing, so that future training and testing
decisions are based on solid evidence they say.
Ultimately, the Committee supports the Government in its decision to do
more than the Directive requires for testing new riders’ ability. But
their condemnation of the DSA’s continued mishandling of the new test
arrangements lends weight to MAG’s proposal, laid-out in the Committee’s
report, to break-up the DSA monopoly over all aspects of training and
testing.
One thing everyone is agreed on; lessons must be learned before the
government legislates implementation of the Third European Driving
Licence Directive, soon after the General Election. MAG’s partners in
the Riders Are Voters campaign are combining their efforts to reverse
another potentially catastrophic situation.
This is the result of months of work by many people and I for one, shall
be having an ale tonight!
--
Best Regards,
Paddy Tyson
Campaigns Co-ordinator
MAG UK
Tel: 01788 570065
Mobile: 07717 345605
Website: www.mag-uk.org
_______________________________________________
>
Originally Posted by Jon_W
