DVSA Test Reforms are Coming, But Not the Ones Needed
As the DVSA unveils a host of new plans for testing reforms, there’s still no news on when two-wheeled testing improvements will arrive
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has hit the headlines this week thanks to an extensive raft of changes aimed at reducing the waiting times for tests and helping to clear an extensive backlog.
It has also put forward measures that should help to reduce the amount of legitimate people who get ‘scalped’ by so-called test touts who, hoover up testing slots and then sell them on at a premium. The plans also include recruiting 450 more driving examiners and increasing the amount of time before somebody who has failed their test has to wait before they can re-book, and it’ll be longer for those who showed serious faults during the practical test.
And that all sounds very positive if you’re looking to gain your independence by getting a car, as the changes and reforms will only affect four-wheeled testing centres. And while motorcycle tests have nowhere near the backlog or wait times of car tests (we spoke to several riding schools and practical test waiting times ranged from between one and three weeks), there is still a lot of work to be done with motorcycle testing and licence legislation.
Simply put, since 1983 (when the 125 learner law came in), there have been around 17 significant changes to the motorcycle licence/test system, and in many cases, each update has only made the process more complicated and off-putting.
The basics of CBT, A1, A2 and A licences, as introduced in 1997, remain, but test formats, category definitions and more have been repeatedly tweaked, with the most significant revision in 2013 when the 50cc AM class (among other things) was added.
The point is: it’s far too complicated, has been for years, and as a result is having a detrimental effect both on getting youngsters on two wheels which in turn hurts motorcycle sales. Manufacturers are struggling to get younger riders on bikes, and the UK rider demographic is only getting older. Is it any wonder when motorcycle licencing legislation is so complex and hard to get your head around?
Even if you accept the basic concept of progressive licence bands, the current structure is confusing and wasteful – and you don’t have to take my word for it.
“The progressive access through the licensing....it definitely needs to change," Mark Jaffe, owner of Phoenix Motorcycle Training, told Visordown recently. “In terms of A2 to upgrade, that could very easily be done by additional training rather than just by going back and doing the same test again.”
So, what’s going on now? Basically, not a great deal, it seems. There’s been a lot of talk about making revisions which will make getting a licence simpler and more accessible… but nothing’s been done yet.
The Motorcycle Industry Association’s ‘Licence to Net Zero’ initiative says licence reform is essential and ‘aims to make acquiring a moped, motorcycle or other powered light vehicle (PLV) licence simpler, fairer, safer and more accessible for all’.
Earlier this year the NMC (which is comprised of bodies such as the BMF, ACU, IAM RoadSmart and TRF) issued its ‘A Fresh Approach to The Motorcycle Licence’ document, the basic principle of which, it says, is to ‘make the licensing regime easier to understand and access’.
OK, so far, so good. But the proof of the pudding is what happens if anything actually changes. And the latest news from the DVSA on car tests proves that motorcycles still aren't a priority. And is that any wonder, when the current Labour government freely admits in official documents that helping to grow motorcycling in the UK is not a top priority, and that it is far more interested in getting people on buses, cycle paths and pavements?
NMC Executive Director ,Craig Carey-Clinch, also said: “It is clear that a fundamental review is needed. This is not about ripping everything up and starting again, but learning from what works and what doesn’t work, to create an evolved system that is fit for purpose and much easier for novice riders to understand and access.
“With motorcycle safety such a high priority, we urge Ministers to give the Group the tools it needs to develop a motorcycle licensing regime that improves safety, rewards progress and is more accessible – also taking account of future changes in technology and rider needs as motorcycling and training practice continues to evolve.”
Similar things have been said before, of course, nothing has actually changed yet, and reforms specific to bikes still look a long way off.
But whatever happens, can you just get on with it, and quickly, please? Maybe that way my two will still become motorcyclists in my lifetime…
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Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
