DVLA ‘failings affect drivers’

Vulnerable motorists are being denied driving licences because of major failings in how their fitness to get behind the wheel is assessed, a damning report has found.

An investigation by the Parliamentary and Health ServiceOmbudsman (PHSO) found people with complex medical conditions and disabilities are unfairly stopped from driving for several years by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) due to flawed decisions, severe delays and poor communication.

The system can also lead to people who do pose a risk to the public keeping their licence and continuing to drive, the inquiry warned.

Eight cases were featured in the report to illustrate the magnitude of the problems.

They include a selfemployed

“Action needed to make the assessments more robust”

lorry driver who suffered a heart attack and lost his business during a 17-month wait to reverse an order to remove his licence, despite being symptom free.

A piano teacher was left socially isolated and unabletoworkwhenthe DVLA needlessly prevented her from driving for several years despite her making a recovery from a stroke.

Ombudsman Julie Mellor said: “DVLA has accepted our findings and has taken steps to address some of the failures identified, such as producing a new guide for medical professionals and improving its complaint handling and communications.

“But further action is needed to make the assessments of fitness to drive more robust, to prevent others from suffering the same injustice in the future.”