British Dealer News is not alone in its campaign to encourage the training industry to have its say in a government survey and take up the offer of local bike-focused feedback surgeries.
The Motor Cycle Industry Trainers Association (MCITA), set up to promote, protect and expand the business of motorcycle training, has been lobbying on the issue and has issued similar advice.
Karen Cole, Safety and Training Director at the Motor Cycle Industry Association, under whose umbrella the MCITA operates, said: “MCITA and other stakeholders have been pushing DVSA to implement the surgeries that have been mentioned. Car instructors have had this facility for quite some time.
“MCITA has sent out the surveys and urges all its members to complete them.”
Last Friday, BDN revealed that motorcycle riding instructors have the chance to tell the government what they think of the test regime and potentially apply pressure to bring about a change in legislation.
The new Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency appears willing, presumably if enough people in the industry request it, to set up bike-focused surgeries across the country at which trainers would have the chance to raise concerns about the complexity and cost to potential bikers of the present regulations.
The opportunity comes in an online survey about users’ day-to-day experience of the now defunct DSA. The DSA merged with VOSA to become the DVSA. The survey is aimed at Approved Training Bodies (ATB), motorcycle trainers or both.
As well as general questions about the quality of service provided by the DSA, instructors are asked whether they would attend “bike-focused surgeries” if they were held at test centres in their area and, if they did attend, what issues they would be likely to raise. Among the tick-box options for likely issues to be raised is “Changes to legislation”.
As BDN said it its dealer eletter last Friday: “The survey closes on 14 February. It’s an opportunity we hope every trainer in the country will grasp. Take five minutes to complete the survey and have your say – for your own sakes and for the sake of the motorcycle industry.”
The survey is at the following link:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7HNP8RK
MCIA urges training industry to have its say
