LEARNER drivers in Aberdeen are being forced to wait 14 weeks for a driving test, despite the UK Government claiming the wait is only three weeks in the city's north.
The details came to light after Callum McCaig, SNP MP for Aberdeen South, wrote to the transport under-secretary Lord Tariq Ahmad after local driving examiners raised their concerns with him.
He said waiting times for the city’s south test centre at Cove had increased from 11 to 14 weeks in less than two months because the Department for Transport (DfT) had not recruited enough new examiners.
Lord Ahmad said in a letter that waiting times in Aberdeen North were three weeks, but information from the UK Government’s DfT website indicated that waiting times there were also at 14 weeks.
The national waiting-time target for tests for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is six weeks.
“In their most recent letter to me, I was pretty astounded by the claim that the neighbouring constituency of Aberdeen North has waiting times of half the national target, but when I check that against the Department for Transport’s website, the advised wait is actually 14 weeks – the same as my own constituency,” said McCaig.
“One of the most frustrating aspects of this is that waiting times are longer since I first raised this issue before Christmas.
“These days a lot of jobs require people to have a valid driving licence and many people need this qualification for their livelihoods. We cannot allow Aberdonians to lose out because of the UK Government’s poor foresight and recruitment organisation.
“I have been writing to the Department of Transport about this issue since November, and so far no detailed answers have been provided to explain how they are trying to resolve this issue in my constituency.
“They say Aberdeen South has been targeted in their recruitment efforts, but I have yet to be told how that is happening.”
Kirsty Blackman, MP for Aberdeen North, said: “These waiting times are quite staggering. The UK Government need to take action on this as a matter of urgency.
“Clearly, this situation is not improving, and it is worrying to think of how bad they would have to get before real action is taken by the Department for Transport.
“The detrimental effect of this is completely unfair on a lot of people living in Aberdeen. Some folk may be very nervous in the lead-up to a driving test, and won’t feel helped by having to wait so long for one.
“It is not too much to ask of the UK Government to effectively advertise driving examiner vacancies and find suitable candidates, particularly as there are currently people in Aberdeen actively seeking employment from a variety of skilled backgrounds.”
In his letter, McCaig said the shortage of examiners was affecting morale across Aberdeen. He wrote: “I have full appreciation for the critical and vital role our skilled examiners hold to ensure drivers across the country are adequately and safely qualified. However, I have been advised by profvessional examiners in my constituency, that the current state of affairs is having a detrimental effect on staff morale, and many fear for the future of their workplace.”
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