DRIVING STANDARDS
AGENCY News Release (DSA 46/08) issued by COI News Distribution
Service. 27 October 2008
The Driving
Standards Agency (DSA) today issued a consultation paper on the
proposed fee structure for driving tests in 2009/10, as outlined
in its Business Plan in April.
The DSA plans to introduce the new fees for tests booked on or
after 30 March 2009, following a review of its forecast
operational costs for 2009/10.
Chief Executive Rosemary Thew, said:
"The Driving Standards Agency has to cover its costs in
providing driving and riding tests to learners throughout the country.
"We are already planning to make efficiency savings of £6m
this year and plan further savings in 2009/10, but to make sure we
continue to offer an excellent service the fees we charge must
recover our operational costs."
Under the proposals the theory tests for learner drivers and
motorcycle riders would be £31.00 and the practical car test
£63.50. The fee for the practical motorcycle test would remain unchanged.
Anyone wishing to comment on the proposed revised fees must do so
by 18 January 2009. The consultation paper is available at: http://www.dsa.gov.uk/Category.asp?cat=592
Ends
For more information contact please call DSA press office on 0115
936 6133.
Notes to Editors:
Main fee proposals
Fees for learner drivers
test existing proposed
fee fee
theory tests taken by learner £30.00 £31.00
car drivers and motorcycle/moped riders
practical tests taken by £56.50 £63.50
learner car drivers
practical vocational and car £105.00 £119.00
plus trailer tests Fees relating to the ADI scheme
test existing proposed
fee fee
theory test taken as part of £80.00 £90.00
the ADI qualification process
practical tests taken as part £99.00 £111.00
of the ADI qualification process
ADI Trainee Licences £125.00 £140.00
Charges relating to non-statutory services
test existing proposed
fee fee
taxi and private hire car £69.00* £78.00* tests
practical tests taken as part of the qualification process for
the non-statutory instructor registration schemes operated by DSA
* LGV Voluntary Register
* Fleet Driver Trainer Register £123.38* £139.83 £131.60*
* Register of Post Test £116.33* £111.63 Motorcycle
Trainers £98.70* Pass plus products
* starter pack £35.00* £37.00*
* refill £28.00* £29.00*
* Charges marked [*] inclusive of VAT
No fee increases are included for practical motorcycle tests, as
these were increased in September this year.
1. The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) is an executive agency * of
the Department for Transport.
2. The DSA's vision is "Safe Driving for Life"
with an overall mission to contribute towards a Government target
of achieving a 40% reduction in riders and drivers killed or
seriously injured in road accidents, in the age group up to 24
years, by 2010.
3. Current information on road casualties is available from the
Department for Transport website: http://www.dft.gov.uk
4. The Agency's aim is to promote road safety through
setting standards for drivers, riders and trainers, testing
drivers and riders fairly and efficiently, maintaining the
registers of Approved Driving Instructors; Large Goods Vehicle
Instructors; Fleet Trainers; Driving Instructor Trainers and Post
Test Motorcycle Trainers; supervising Compulsory Basic Training
(CBT) for learner motorcyclists; and driver education and the
provision of learning resources.
5. DSA is a trading fund * with an expected turnover of around
£199 million for the year 2008/9, fully funded by fee income and
revenue from its activities.
6. DSA employs over 2,700 staff, of which some 2,000 are driving
examiners based at over 400 test centres across mainland Great
Britain. In 2007/2008 the Agency conducted 1.8 million practical
tests for car drivers, over 95,000 vocational tests and 94,000
motorcycle rider tests. A total of 1.7 million theory tests were
carried out at 158 centres. At the end of the year there were
around 43,600 people on the Register of Approved Driving Instructors.
7. DSA was 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.uk/drivingtest
* Executive agency:
An executive agency is semi-detached from its parent department
and manages its own budget with freedom from ad hoc, day to day
intervention and much of central, government-wide regulation. They
are run under the organisation and direction of a Chief Executive
recruited through open competition. An executive agency has
accountability for the performance of specific operational tasks
as a corporate unit, including focused performance targets set by
the parent department and personal accountability of the chief
executive for performance.
* Trading Fund:
A trading fund is a means of financing trading activities
undertaken by Government that would previously have been financed
by annual appropriation from Parliament. A trading fund permits
the establishment of a self-accounting unit that remains under the
control and management of Ministers and accountable to Parliament
through Ministers, but has greater freedom to manage its financial
affairs. Effectively that means the trading fund body can use its
income to settle its liabilities and retain year-end cash balances.
Establishing the trading fund does not alter the Agency's
constitutional position and it remains part of the Department for Transport.