L of a frustrating time for driving instructors and learners
West Midlands driving instructors have spoken out about their frustration as lessons and tests are called off once again during lockdown.
Driver and rider tests will be suspended from November 5 until December 2, to coincide with the second lockdown in England.
In addition, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has said that as well as examinations, driver training will be suspended over the same timeframe. It means that learners will be unable to book driving lessons with a certified instructor.
Barrie Greenhouse, co-owner of Pass4fun in Wolverhampton, said: "It's just frustrating how things are but we've got to be safe and that's it.
"We hope we can all get going again in December.
"There's already a huge waiting list with tests from the original lockdown, so of course it's going to multiply it.
"We've never been so busy.
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"You tend not to remember things so it will affect them but after we've been behind the wheel for half an hour or so it will come back.
"When I was younger I had to wait nine months for a test, but I am going back to the late 70s.
"I know the frustration they're feeling, they want to get out there driving."
Driving tests were originally suspended back in March due to the initial lockdown period and only restarted in July. A large backlog had been built up, with around 210,000 tests cancelled due to the shutdown, according to the DVSA.
Birmingham-based instructor Mac Trombley, from Bill Plant Driving School, added: "It's January or February now for a driving test, there's at least 200,000 students who will have to push their test back, I've had seven tests.
"The earliest I'm getting now is the end of January for the tests. None of them can take lessons during the lockdown.
"I've got somebody who was going to have a test in the last lockdown and he was booked for this lockdown, they're all very disappointed."
