A message from Nationwide Associations Strategic Partnership
NASP welcomes the NAO’s report on check ready occasions, because it brings into sharp focus the failings of DVSA, and wider Authorities, in tackling driving check 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 carry down check ready occasions.
We’re happy to see that NAO has recognised one of many largest points is Examiner recruitment and retention. Though DVSA would like 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 imagine to be concrete options), the fact is that check resourcing lies on the coronary heart of the backlogs and this could solely be resolved by recruiting and deploying extra examiners – an space the company has been significantly challenged in attaining with solely 83 new Examiners being recruited towards a goal of 400 roles, after 19 successive recruitment campaigns.
Equally regarding and irritating on this report is the £44 million deficit in check charges, with the company merely not charging sufficient to cowl prices. NASP has been calling for a rise in each the idea and sensible assessments since earlier than the check ready occasions disaster. We imagine elevating check charges has the potential to extend the worth notion of the driving check (and a licence to drive) and make the sensible and idea check much less of a have-a-go merchandise. Growing the worth of driving assessments may additionally work as a ‘calming’ agent on excessive check demand (one other contributory issue to check backlogs) and stem the push to e-book and take assessments too quickly.
We additionally welcome at this time’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 check ready occasions. 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 seems to be ahead to assembly with the brand new Chief Govt.
Nonetheless, NASP are additionally pursuing an arguably extra vital assembly with the Minister of Transport. DfT has been criticised within the Audit Workplace report for being gradual to react to the issues, and considerably neglecting DVSA within the early days of the check ready occasions 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 great distance in demonstrating actual concern for the impacts of the driving check supply debacle.
