Grumbles from the Gearbox
Justice wanted for ADIs
AADI President Challenges DVSA on Refusal to extend ADI Licence for COVID19 CRISIS
Driving Instructors being disadvantaged by DVSA failing to allow extension of Green Badge
MOT Testing - Extended by 6 months.
On the 30th March 2020, Government announced that MOT Testing of vehicles
would be extended by 6 months
if your car, van or motorcycle’s MOT expiry date is
due on or after 30 March 2020 - but you must keep your vehicle safe to drive
DVLA Press Notice 4th June 2020, @ 1220 hrs.
Drivers granted 7 month photocard licence extension
To make it easier for drivers who need to update their photocard licence with a new
photo at the end of the 10 years validity, photocard driving licences that expire
between 1 February 2020 and 31 August 2020 will be automatically extended for 7
months
from the expiry date.
Drivers do not need to take any action as the extension will be automatic
and they will
be sent a renewal reminder before their 7 month extension ends.
DVSA Announcement 4th June 2020 @ 2029 hrs.
The EU has made temporary changes
to the road transport rules that apply to
operators and drivers of heavy goods and public service vehicles, to mitigate the
impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) on the road transport sector.
DQCs expiring before 31 August 2020
The validity of DQCs that expire between 1 February 2020 and 31 August 2020 has
been extended for 7 months by the DVSA. If the expiry date on your card is in this
period, you need to add 7 months to that date to calculate the new expiry date. The
extension will be applied automatically. You do not need to take any action. You must
continue to carry your DQC.
DQCs expiring in September 2020
On 31 March 2020 DVSA gave notice that, subject to review, enforcement action
would not be taken against drivers from 1 September 2020 to 30 September 2020 if
their DQC expired during this period. This would have allowed up to an additional 29
days to complete periodic CPC training, due to COVID-19 disruption.
However, because there are sufficient course available this additional month has now
been rescinded, and DQC's now only have to the 31st August to renew, (which may be
subject to review,
should the Covid pandemic continue beyond that date.
Calibrations and inspections due before 31 August 2020
All tachograph calibration and inspection certificates which are listed as expiring
between 1 March 2020 to 31 August 2020, are extended by 6 months
from the date
the calibration was originally due.
Tachograph card renewal
From 1 March 2020 to 31 August 2020, drivers who apply to renew their tachograph
card no later than 15 days before their card is due to expire, can continue to drive until
they receive a new card.
Drivers who apply for a replacement tachograph card within 7 days of their card being
damaged, malfunctioning, lost or stolen, can continue to drive until they receive a new
card.
Operator Financial Standing Update
The maximum grace period a Traffic Commissioner may give an operator to
demonstrate renewed financial standing following a finding that the requirement has
not been met has been extended from 6 months to 12 months.
This only applies to
assessments of inadequate financial standing made between 1 March 2020 and 30
September 2020.
Driver Attestation Update
The validity of driver attestations that expire from 1 March 2020 to 31 August 2020
have been extended
for 6 months.
All of the above changes will allow those engaged in the transport sector to continue
working without any financial disadvantage during the Covid19 Pandemic.
When it comes to Approved Driving Instructors, (ADIs) who are not allowed to work
during the Covid Pandemic, because we are unable to comply with Social distancing
conditions laid down by Government have asked the DVSA to extend our Green
Badge, (which is our licence to teach), so we are not disadvantaged by the loss of
around 6 months usage, which is paid for within our four year licence.
DVSA tell us that the they cannot make temporary changes as it is not allowed within
the regulations, yet we see, it can be done for those in the Transport Sector in all the
areas outlined above. It can also be done for ordinary drivers, all of which must have
had minor adjustments made in regulations to accommodate those extensions, yet it is
not possible for Approved Driving Instructors!
We appreciate that within the regulations ADIs can cut their badge up and return it, or
just return it, in either event we will not be able to work at all (until we re-apply for
it), even though we will have 12 months to re-apply for it without having to requalify.
We may even lose whatever time is left on the Green Badge, as to date, we have only
seen that we will have to pay a FULL FEE (£300) for the following four years. There
is no indication that the remainder will be included and the new fee adjusted, probably
because it is too difficult for the DVSA to work that out.
If ADIs are not able to get back to work before September, that will mean they have
lost the equivalent of 6 months work ability, which I and so many of my colleagues
say we should have re-instated in the same way as the Transport Sector and ordinary
drivers have had. The value of that loss, in monetary terms is not enormous (£37.50)
per ADI, but more the loss of work, which has caused enormous financial, social and
dare I say, mental health issues. Many may not even return to our profession due to
the stress of not earning a wage to support their families. I and my colleagues say,
like others, we should have at least one extension of six months added to the expiry
date in the same way others have been given, due to the Corona Virus Pandemic.
Additionally, because the vast majority have not been able to work (save a small
minority training Key Workers), our governing body (DVSA) has benefited from our
loss by approximately £1,500,000 given six months is valued as indicated above over
approximately 40,000 ADIs.
Can I ask you approach the Secretary of State, The Rt. Hon. Grant Shapps MP and
request he instruct the DVSA to extend the ADI Green Badge for 6 months from its
date of expiry, to help us recover from that time lost during the pandemic and in any
even treat us in the same way as the Transport Sector and the ordinary motorist has
been.
Sincerely,
Barry Kenward. AADI President.
Barry Kenward. AADI President.
......................................................................................................................
All are invited to copy and use the above letter in an email to their own MP in an attempt to bring this to Mr Shapps attention and get the DVSA to review its policy towards the ADI community. Please remember to add your own name, address and Phone number to show that it is to your own MP ad asking them to act on your behalf.
#
Cheers.
Don.
Don.
The DVsA response to recent media criticism about the current test waiting times is to throw in the kitchen sink - but, is this the right solution?
Are the DvSA morally bankrupt?
Why bother, the job is not what it used to be?
Where on earth does the dvsa thinking come from, we know where it belongs?
The AADI is offering to help the dvsa with its poor public image to help clear up some confusing issues on the driving test for driving instructors and learners in the UK and make their lives easier.
AADI advising the dvsa, and they are at last listening.
Did the dvsa go too far opening new theory centres when tests are not available?
We are all Ambassadors for our chosen profession
Dear dvsa,
DVSA thanks for all the recent emails,... keeping us ADIs up to date. I should like to discuss with you a few of the points that you have raised.
"It is all our fault (the ADI) that the booking system is in chaos and our fault that candidates are not turning up for the test".
how the dvsa fails its customers on a daily basis
