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 closes on 14 February. It 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”.
Schools are also asked to indicate whether they have had a DSA standards check in the last 12 months.
The survey inquires whether the respondent had raised any complaints with the DSA in the past six months, the subject matter, and how they were handled.
BDN has carried several stories complaining that the authorities were not policing the system and that the DSA was turning a blind eye to abuses. The DVSA denies the latter and claims it takes all complaints seriously.
Editor’s note: BDN encourages all instructors to take five minutes to complete this survey, have their say about the complexity and cost of the present training regime – which is putting people off coming into biking, hitting both their livelihoods and the future of the industry in general – and thereby apply pressure for legislative change.
Click on the link below to access the survey.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7HNP8RK