DISGRUNTLED driving instructors are threatening to take drastic action in their attempt to stop a test centre from being shut down.

They are planning to take their learners to the busiest parts of Cardiff at rush hour or do a “go-slow” through the city centre to get themselves heard.

Despite admitting their protests could cause mayhem, the instructors believe they need to make test centre bosses sit up and listen.

The row is over the planned closure of the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) test centre in Barry from January.

Driving teachers in the Vale say they would be forced to use the test centre in Cardiff, costing them more in time and fuel. Added costs would have to be passed on to pupils and the instructors fear this could mean a loss of trade at a time when conditions are already difficult.

Barry instructor Lyndon Davies said the drivers were discussing taking their learners to Culverhouse Cross at 4.30pm – when rush hour traffic is fast approaching its busiest.

He said: “We know it would be mayhem down there but we feel we’ve been left with few alternatives.

“Of course the last thing we want is to cause an accident, the safety of our learners is top priority.

“But if we felt we could disrupt the busiest part of Cardiff in a safe way then it is something we will look at.”

A group of instructors were meeting at the Barry Conservative Club tonight at 8pm to discuss the plans.

Vale MP John Smith and Vale AM Jane Hutt have already backed the campaign to keep the centre in Barry.

Jim Stokes, who teaches for the PAL School for Driving in Barry, added: “We are looking at a number of measures.

“We’re hoping as many instructors as possible turn up for the meeting to talk about how we go forward.

“It has got to the point where the DSA just put the phone down when we ring up.”

Barry Council has offered the DSA two possible sites for relocation but they have been rejected.

The DSA has said the Barry centre is unsuitable and inadequate, and centres in Cardiff and Bridgend have the capacity to cope with the extra workload.

A spokesman for the DSA said: “The centre at Barry does not offer the services we would wish to offer our customers and the premises do not have the benefit of off-street parking for our customers.”

Why are the DSA closing ‘local’ driving test centres & opening up fewer larger test centres? Aren’t they trying to get people to drive in an Eco-Safe way – this can’t really happen if they are being forced to travel further!! Travelling further means more traffic on the roads – again at a time when agencies are trying to get us to drive less. Mixed messages being sent out from the Government & DSA.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, January 3rd, 2010 at 12:26 am and is filed under Driving, Driving Instructors, Driving Lessons, Driving Tests. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.