Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency
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Consultation on cost of Driving Tests
The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) is carrying out a public consultation on modernising arrangements to take driving tests.
Chief Executive Rosemary Thew said: "We want to know what people think about a package of measures to improve the way we conduct business. This includes the introduction of a scheme for Approved Test Assistants who can support candidates with hearing difficulties, understanding or responding to questions or instructions during their theory test."
The Agency also proposes to consult over the price of driving tests. It intends to increase the fee of theory tests for car drivers and motorcycle riders by £1.50 on 1 April 08. It is also proposes to increase the practical car test by £8. This will see the cost of the theory test set at £30 and the practical test at £56.50.
It is also proposed in the consultation that the fee for the practical motorcycle test will increase by £20 to £80 on 1 October 2008 when the new and more demanding manoeuvres are introduced to the test.
DSA is also seeking views on proposals to increase the fees for the qualification tests taken by people wanting to become Approved Driving Instructors, and for our non-statutory activities.
ends
Notes to Editors
1. The theory test fee will increase from £21.50 to £28.50 for theory tests taken by car and motorcycle candidates on 3 September when the number of questions in the test rises to from 35 to 50. To book a theory test, candidates should visit http://www.direct.gov.uk/drivingtest or call 0870 0101 372; (Minicom: 0870 01 06 372; Welsh Speakers: 0870 01 00 372).
2. Further details about the changes to the theory test will also be available through the following web pages: http://www.direct.gov.uk/drivingtest
3. The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) is an executive agency of the Department for Transport.
4. Information on road casualties is available on the Department for Transport website http://www.dft.gov.uk
5. The Agency's aim is to promote road safety through improving driving standards, testing drivers and riders fairly and efficiently, maintaining the registers of Approved Driving Instructors and Large Goods Vehicle Instructors and supervising basic training for learner motorcyclists.
6. DSA is a trading fund with turnover of around £152.6 million for the year 2006/7, fully funded by fee income and revenue from its activities.
7. DSA employs 2657 (2,585 full time equivalent), of which some 2,020 are driving examiners (1945 full time equivalent) based at over 432 test centres across mainland Great Britain. In 2006/2007 the Agency conducted 1.8 million practical tests for car drivers, 89,000 vocational tests and 78,000 motorcycle rider tests.
A total of 1.5 million theory tests were carried out at 158 centres. At the end of the year there were 39,001 people on the Register of Approved Driving Instructors.
8. DSA is one of the first Government Agencies to introduce an 'online' booking service. Candidates can book and manage their theory and practical test appointments on line at http://www.direct.gov/motoring.
