The Department for Transport’s announcement last week that the two-part motorcycle test is to continue and is not to be changed to a single on-road test has been described as “disappointing” by the Motorcycle Industry Association and the training organisations.
The DfT decision not to move the test on-road follows a review by the Driving Standards Agency who claim that an on-road test would increase injuries and costs.
During the review, some access improvements have been made by the DSA with more examiners, the implementation of an online booking system and some additional test centres. However, the number of test centres is less than half of the 240 in operation when the Second Driving Licence Directive came into operation in April 2009.
Steve Kenward, chief executive of the MCIA commented: “Our disappointment chiefly lies with the fact that a genuine desire to try to work with the DSA and its stakeholders – to improve the 2DLD process – has not generated a better result.
We remain concerned that the time and effort expended by all has not moved the testing regime forward. Instead, it serves to reinforce a testing regime that MCIA believes was poorly implemented at the outset”.
We were willing to try to make 2DLD work, and we thought this review would help to refine its implementation, but a lack of progress raises a bigger question about whether the specific requirements of 2DLD should now be challenged.
MCIA remains concerned about the safety of a test which is considered too dangerous to be carried out on-road, yet qualifies the rider to use the road afterwards. We remain passionate about rider safety, and especially the safety of those new to motorcycling and will continue to work with the DSA and other stakeholders to advance this”.