Learner drivers forced to travel to take test
LEARNER drivers in Southport will be forced to travel to Liverpool or Preston to complete their theory test when the current site closes later this year.
The testing site on Gordon Street is one of 19 set to be axed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) in a major reorganisation of the test centre network
The total number of testing sites across the country will actually increase but this comes at the expense of sites in locations including Southport, Wigan, Blackpool and St Helens.
According to the DVSA, all candidates in urban areas should not have to travel more than 40 minutes to a test centre, but many in Southport will question the feasibility of that
Changes to the network were confirmed in an email to driving instructors this morning and will now see two different suppliers managing the sites. DVSA officials have already come under fire this year due to the long waiting lists for both theory and practical exams since the initial lockdown.
A DVSA spokesperson said: “Because the new contract to run the theory test service has been awarded to more than one company, the location of many theory test centres will change from 6 September.
“We have tried to make decisions that are best for as many customers as possible. However, in some cases this means some people will now have to travel further, though the distance will have decreased in other cases.
“The increased number of theory test centres (from 180 to 202 across Great Britain) will result in a more even distribution of test centre locations and will make theory tests more accessible to those in remote areas of the country. In the new network all candidates should not have to travel more than 40 miles (rural) or 40 minutes (urban) to get to a test centre unless they choose to travel further.