Driving Lessons In Chelmsford, Brentwood, Billericay And Nearby Areas Of Essex
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Recent Driving News

18th June - Saturday Driving Test Refunds

The following is taken from the DSA website from the press release section

SATURDAY DRIVING TESTS

"The Driving Standards Agency is writing to learner driver candidates who have booked practical tests on a Saturday since November 2005, to offer a refund for overpayment of fees caused by accidental overcharging and to apologise for the error.

We are taking this action because of an error in regulations made on 1 November 2005 which had the unintended consequence of removing the differential between normal weekday hours and Saturday charges for taking a test. The refund offered is the premium paid for a Saturday test, currently £10.50 for a car test.

An amending regulation has now been laid in Parliament to reinstate in law the intended differential in fees. The Agency is obliged to recover administrative costs through fees, including the extra costs of Saturday operation, for example in overtime. Tests booked from 7 July onwards will be charged at the intended Saturday rate of £67.00

The Driving Standards Agency apologises for the error and is contacting all those affected, but customers can speak direct to the Agency’s advisers by calling (0191) 201 4098 between 9am and 5pm if they want information in the meantime. DSA believes around 270,000 candidates will be affected."

So that's a refund of just under £3 million, ouch!!

29th April - New Show Me/Tell Me Questions For The Driving Test
(Vehicle Safety Check Questions)

From the 1st July, there will be a new set of Vehicle Safety Check questions (also know as Show Me/Tell Me) for the driving test. A full list of the new questions can be found on the Vehicle Safety Check Questions page of this website.

11th April - Driving Examiners To Strike On 24th April

Be aware if you have a driving test on 24th April, there's a chance it might not go ahead. Some Driving Examiners will join 100,000 civil servants striking for the day because of below inflation pay increases. If you have a driving test on this day, phone the DSA and they might be able to tell you if you are affected. However, going by previous strikes, sometimes you can't tell if your test will be affected until you turn up. So either try and re-arrange it, or turn up with your fingers crossed!

25 March - Theory & Driving Test Fee Increases

This is no April Fool! From the 1st April, the fees for Driving & Theory Tests will go up. The Theory Test will increase by £1.50 to £30.00, while the Driving Test will go up £8 to £56.50, and if you want a weekend or evening test, the fee is up £9 to £67.

Also if you're looking at the motorcycle test, the test will be changing on 29th September, and with it will be a test fee of £80 (up £20). The big increase in the bike test is due to the changes in the test needing an off road testing area. New Multi Purpose Test Centres (MPTC) are being built around the country for this reason.

Chief Executive Rosemary Thew said:

"The Driving Standards Agency has to cover its costs in providing driving and riding tests to learners throughout the country. We are already planning to make efficiency savings of £4.8m this year and a further £6.0m in 2008/9, but to make sure we continue to offer an excellent service the fees we charge must match our costs."

Copyright © 2007 RPL Driving School Chelmsford
Driving Lessons Chelmsford, Brentwood, Essex, UK
Updated 25 June, 2008