Test booking system not fit for purpose

As a Green I am of the firm belief that driving is a necessary skill for many functions vital to our society – driving an ambulance, fire engine, taxi, a bus, delivery van, post etc. The present driving system tests are negatively affecting everyone in the country, including many residents in B&NES. I have recently written to Wera Hobhouse MP and asked her to address this issue with the Secretary of State for Transport with an open letter – see https:// cllrjoannawright.wordpress. com/2022/08/17/driving-tests-inthe-uk/?preview=true

Presently the current system in place for booking a driving test is clearly not fit for purpose. Trying to book a test is complicated and cumbersome, requiring endless checking of each and every day and no obvious system where a learner driver can see what options for tests are available to them. This is a badly designed booking system that needs to be urgently overhauled.

The present booking system only allows people to book 16 weeks in advance and appears to be booked up by private businesses who sell on the tests for profit, in the process misleading learner drivers of the dates available. This means that the average person cannot book a test unless they use a broker at a further charge.

It also means that the average instructor taking learners through the system cannot get test bookings for their clients. This results in local driving instructors failing to get clients tested and affects their business.

A local driving instructor informed me that six of his clients had recently had their tests cancelled at short notice. There were no further slots available and he now has to begin all over again to get his clients ready for their next test, often months ahead. This has caused him to stop taking on new clients.

Cllr Joanna Wright Green Party Councillor for Lambridge

We have followed with interest the correspondence about the expansion of the Voi e-scooter trial. We believe the Voi scooters provide a valuable additional option for people who wish to travel around the city while leaving their cars at home.

Within our ward of Lansdown we are hearing of NHS staff using them to get to and from the RUH at unsociable hours and of people getting to and from the station for commuting. We’ve received requests for new scooter locations, for example near Sion Hill and Charlcombe Lane. The vicar of St Stephen’s Church has been using them as his main transport around Bath for the last month as he estimates it’s under half the cost of driving and parking.

“Not as good as walking, obviously,” he says, “but I’m not that organised!”

There are some teething problems, mainly around parking zones, but we are working with council officers and Voi to address these. Such is their popularity in Lansdown that larger than anticipated numbers of scooters are accumulating in certain parking zones. They have enabled many car-free journeys up Lansdown hill for activities or shopping followed by a walk down, or journeys back up the hill following a walk into the city, and this is why so many are accumulating. Parking is also linked to bus stops, which overall is a good sign.

To mitigate large numbers, we’ve introduced caps on numbers allowed at parking zones and we are looking at additional parking zone locations to cope with capacity. In addition, we’re investigating moving some parking to on-road where possible. Some unsuitable locations have been removed. One Lansdown business owner said this week: “I can’t tell you how grateful I am for your prompt efforts. Very grateful and very impressed.”

We’re confident that the teething problems will be steadily ironed out. Voi operate a robust scheme for ensuring their users park responsibly – every scooter journey must end in a designated parking zone, and the rider must take a photo of the scooter showing it has been sensibly parked. Where these rules are broken, users are warned and then fined.

Where scooters at parking zones fall over, or are pushed over, the scooters themselves notify Voi that they’ve fallen and Voi operatives are dispatched to right them again.

Obviously e-scooters will not be for everyone or for every journey, but they add to the non-car options available. We’re not anti-car, but providing options such as e-scooters goes one step further towards reducing carbon emissions arising from short car journeys. It also reduces overall congestion and pollution, and leaves more space on the road for those that need to use their cars for their journey. This is surely a good thing.

Mark Elliott and Lucy Hodge Ward Councillors for Lansdown