A message from Nationwide Associations Strategic Partnership
NASP welcomes the NAO’s report on take a look at ready instances, because it brings into sharp focus the failings of DVSA, and wider Authorities, in tackling driving take a look at backlogs, in addition to highlighting the very actual prices of those failures.
The nationwide associations have been interviewed as a part of this investigation, and we have been unflinching in our suggestions, highlighting the core points, the impacts being felt by trainers and pupils on the bottom, and providing clear insights into what measures ought to have been carried out, in a extra expedient method, to attempt to convey down take a look at ready instances.
We’re happy to see that NAO has recognised one of many greatest points is Examiner recruitment and retention. Though DVSA would favor to focus us all on the impacts of the bots, and different points with the reserving system (particularly as that is the one of many few areas the place Ministers have introduced what they consider to be concrete options), the fact is that take a look at resourcing lies on the coronary heart of the backlogs and this may solely be resolved by recruiting and deploying extra examiners – an space the company has been notably challenged in attaining with solely 83 new Examiners being recruited in opposition to a goal of 400 roles, after 19 successive recruitment campaigns.
Equally regarding and irritating on this report is the £44 million deficit in take a look at charges, with the company merely not charging sufficient to cowl prices. NASP has been calling for a rise in each the speculation and sensible checks since earlier than the take a look at ready instances disaster. We consider elevating take a look at charges has the potential to extend the worth notion of the driving take a look at (and a licence to drive) and make the sensible and idea take a look at much less of a have-a-go merchandise. Growing the worth of driving checks may additionally work as a ‘calming’ agent on excessive take a look at demand (one other contributory issue to check backlogs) and stem the frenzy to e-book and take checks too quickly.
We additionally welcome right this moment’s announcement of the brand new CEO at DVSA and hope that they may harness the findings of the NAO report back to develop and ship simpler and expedient methods to cut back driving take a look at ready instances. We additionally hope they take extra time to actually take heed to these on the coalface of this disaster, driver trainers who’ve firsthand expertise of the issues and essential insights into the potential options. NASP appears ahead to assembly with the brand new Chief Govt.
Nonetheless, NASP are additionally pursuing an arguably extra essential assembly with the Minister of Transport. DfT has been criticised within the Audit Workplace report for being sluggish to react to the issues, and considerably neglecting DVSA within the early days of the take a look at ready instances points. Because of this, NAO advises the division to evaluation its governance of DVSA. DfT senior management displaying a willingness to fulfill with the motive force coaching trade will go a good distance in demonstrating actual concern for the impacts of the driving take a look at supply debacle.
